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Israel Adesanya successfully defended his middleweight championship against Robert Whittaker at UFC 271. In the past, we have seen Adesanya venture up the weight divisions. While he was previously unsuccessful, his coach Eugene Bareman recently indicated he could be tempted again.
The first time around, 'The Last Stylebender' suffered the first defeat of his MMA career against former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz. Bareman indicated that even back then, had Adesanya been successful; his next fight would ideally have been against heavyweight great Stipe Miocic.
Adesanya does have extensive experience competing at heavyweight back in his kickboxing days. Given his naturally slight frame, he also has to overcome a size disadvantage even at middleweight.
While a move up to heavyweight would be a big ask, it would also be fascinating to see. For now, it seems as though his next challenge will be Jared Cannonier at middleweight.
However, should 'The Last Stylebender' move up to heavyweight, here are five fights for the middleweight champion:
#5. Israel Adesanya vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
At the end of 2019, Jairzinho Rozenstruik appeared on course to be the next big thing in the heavyweight division. His record was 10-0, and he was coming off consecutive wins over Andrei Arlovski and Alistair Overeem. Since then, however, he has gone 2-3 in his five fights.
While Rozenstruik's momentum may have slowed, he remains a constant threat. All of his UFC wins have come via KO or TKO. It's not unthinkable that 'Bigi Boy' strings together a few big wins and ends up back at the top of the division, as we have seen with Tai Tuivasa.
Matchup-wise, you can also see a path to victory for Adesanya. As we saw in his fight with Ciryl Gane, if you can keep Rozenstruik at range and pick him off from distance, his strengths can be somewhat neutralized.
Adesanya would have to be very cautious and utilize his speed if this fight were booked. Staying out of range would also be necessary, which could lead the Kiwi to a win.
#4. Israel Adesanya vs. Ciryl Gane
A bout between Israel Adesanya and Ciryl Gane might look completely different to any other fight we've seen in UFC heavyweight history. Both men are very measured and utilize their timing and accuracy rather than charging in and trying to overwhelm their opponents with pure power.
A fight between the pair would be incredible from a technical perspective. Ciryl Gane had a very impressive Muay Thai career before shifting his focus to MMA. Adesanya was previously an incredibly successful kick-boxer. Seeing the two specialists go toe-to-toe would be a real treat for martial arts fans.
Bizarrely, it might prove to be Adesanya's power that could win him this bout. Adesanya has proven he can knock down the very best at middleweight. If he could carry more explosiveness at heavyweight, he would be a real threat.
With Adesanya's accuracy, he could well find the opening he needs to land a big blow on his opponent. Alternatively, a more cagey bout fought at range could also see 'The Last Stylebender' sneak past via decision.
#3. Israel Adesanya vs. Derrick Lewis
While there is a risk the fight with Gane could ultimately be somewhat lacking in action, a fight with Derrick Lewis would likely play out very differently. Lewis has more knockouts than anyone else in UFC history, which would mean avoiding his big power shots would become a top priority for Israel Adesanya.
Adesanya would have to use his speed to stay away from Lewis and catch the big man with his timing and accuracy. Lewis has shown that he occasionally leaves openings that someone like 'The Last Stylebender' could take advantage of.
Another fun element of this one would be each fighter's big personality. You can only imagine the trash talk that would take place if these two were to one day fight.
#2. Israel Adesanya vs. Tai Tuivasa
Israel Adesanya and Tai Tuivasa are from similar parts of the world. However, they are not teammates. Furthermore, given Tuivasa's friendship with Robert Whittaker, you imagine he would be interested in this fight. The pair appear to have opposite fighting styles, and so a bout between them would be incredible to watch.
Tuivasa would undoubtedly look to engage Adesanya at close range and seek to knock him out with his power. 'Bam Bam' also possesses a granite chin that might allow him to absorb some shots from 'The Last Stylebender'. He could then use this to close the distance and land some big strikes of his own.
Should this fight take place in either Australia or New Zealand, it would also host an incredible atmosphere for these two local fighters. Seeing their contrasting styles play out inside the octagon would also have the potential to be a ton of fun.
#1. Israel Adesanya vs. Jon Jones
It will be an enormous shame if we never get to see a fight between Israel Adesanya and Jon Jones. The pair have traded shots extensively over social media. They have also competed at light heavyweight. With that being said, we appear to be no closer to seeing this happen for now.
Should Adesanya eventually move up to heavyweight, he could finally face one of his biggest rivals in the sport. Jones appears to be closing in on a heavyweight debut of his own. Given both men seem to be naturally light for the division, this might improve a hypothetical matchup.
Both men would presumably lean into their control of distance and timing rather than pure power, which could produce an intriguing bout between the pair. A fight between these elite fighters would be ground-breaking for the sport and would do ridiculous numbers on PPV.
