Israel Adesanya opens up about the threat posed by Khamzat Chimaev to his UFC middleweight title

Having been the middleweight champion for the longest amount of time post-Anderson Silva's reign and the second longest time in UFC history, Israel Adesanya has had a target on his back for a while now.

Khamzat Chimaev has long been chasing a fight with the former elite kickboxer, and the champion has finally responded.

'The Last Stylebender' has just overcome arguably the biggest test of his career, scoring a brilliant knockout over longtime rival Alex Pereira. The Brazilian previously beat him on three occasions throughout their combat sports careers, but despite looking impressive early on in their fourth dance, he fell victim to the titleholder's striking.

While speaking on a recent episode of IMPAULSIVE, Israel Adesanya finally addressed the constant callouts by Khamzat Chimaev and insisted that he's scared of nobody, saying:

"Trust me, I'm not scared of no one on this f***ing planet. No one. And also, guess what. I like a challenge. [Khamzat Chimaev] presents something unique... It's a big fight. That's why I like that. Cheddar makes it better. But he's [got] Kamaru [Usman to think about] and I think after that, he's probably gonna go for the title... I've got bigger fish to fry. I'm gonna be there in July [at UFC 290] and I'm going to see what's up." [h/t MMAFighting]

Having earned a six-fight win streak since joining the UFC in 2019, Chimaev is regarded as one of the biggest prospects in the sport. The Swede would have likely already competed for gold in the promotion if he hadn't missed weight for his huge fight against Nate Diaz last year.

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Is Israel Adesanya vs. Khamzat Chimaev a possibility?

While Chimaev has fought at middleweight under the UFC banner and is within touching distance of a title shot, it seems both men are destined for different matchups in the near future.

Robert Whittaker and Dricus du Plessis are set to collide next month at UFC 290 in a bout that will likely see the next title challenger emerge. If the Australian wins, it will be his third shot at facing Israel Adesanya, whereas if 'Stillknocks' is victorious, it will be a brand new fight.

Despite having intentions to move up to 185 and contend for that championship, Khamzat Chimaev still finds time to call for a fight with Leon Edwards. 'Borz' is rumored to be taking on Kamaru Usman in Abu Dhabi at UFC 294 later this year, with title implications likely on the line.