5 opponents for Israel Adesanya if he returns to light heavyweight

Since joining the UFC, Israel Adesanya has become one of the most popular fighters in the sport. The reigning UFC middleweight champion has showcased his incredible striking, which really sets him apart from other fighters.

Adesanya has been involved in a few back-and-forth bouts, but has had his hand raised in every middleweight bout he’s competed in. Thanks to his performances at 185lbs, Adesanya was given a title shot against then-UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz earlier this year at UFC 259.

‘The Last Stylebender’ came up short in his attempt at light heavyweight gold. It was a learning experience for him as he made improvements that served him well in his next bout. Adesanya retained his middleweight championship against Marvin Vettori three months later.

With Adesanya having fought most of the top middleweights, it’ll be interesting to see whether he makes another attempt at 205lbs. This list will look at 5 possible opponents for Israel Adesanya if he returns to light heavyweight.

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#5. Israel Adesanya vs. Thiago Santos

UFC Fight Night Santos v Teixeira

Thiago Santos is currently the No.5-ranked light heavyweight in the UFC and has benefitted from his move to 205lbs. After defeating Kevin Holland in a middleweight bout at UFC 227, Santos decided to move up to light heavyweight.

Santos excelled in his new weight-class as he won three straight bouts with KO/TKO and earned a title shot against then-champion Jon Jones. Despite sustaining significant injuries to both legs, 'Marreta' still went the distance with Jones. Santos lost by split-decision, but had his fair share of moments during the fight.

‘Marreta’ struggled when he returned as he lost back-to-back fights to Glover Teixeira and Aleksandar Rakic. After a 7-month layoff, Santos got back on track by defeating Johnny Walker by unanimous decision. Santos would be an interesting opponent for Adesanya because of his knockout ability and the fact that he’s not a massive 205-pounder.

#4. Israel Adesanya vs. Anthony ‘Lionheart’ Smith

UFC Fight Night: Smith v Clark

For Adesanya, former title-challenger Anthony ‘Lionheart’ Smith is another interesting opponent. Much like Santos, ‘Lionheart’ excelled once he made the move from middleweight to light heavyweight. He picked up back-to-back first-round knockouts over former champions Rashad Evans and Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua before submitting Volkan Oezdemir.

Smith was also unsuccessful when he challenged Jones for the UFC light heavyweight championship, but he kept at it. After going 1-2 following his loss to Jones, Smith has turned things around and is currently on a three-fight winning streak.

‘Lionheart is the No.4-ranked UFC light heavyweight and would be a great matchup for ‘The Last Stylebender’. Although Smith has knockout power, he’d likely use his Brazilian jiu-jitsu to try to get Adesanya to the ground and submit him.

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#3. Israel Adesanya vs. Jan Blachowicz 2

UFC 259 Blachowicz v Adesanya: Weigh-Ins

Adesanya fought Jan Blachowicz earlier this year when he attempted to achieve champ-champ status. Then-champion Blachowicz retained his title by unanimous decision and handed Adesanya the first loss of his MMA career.

The fight was fairly even early on. Surprisingly, Blachowicz landed more strikes than Adesanya, who is known for his striking. The difference maker ended up being Blachowicz’s grappling as he secured takedowns in the later rounds to win the fight.

It would be interesting to see what would happen in a rematch. Adesanya has never been in a position to avenge a loss because he only has the one. Since their fight, Blachowicz has lost his UFC light heavyweight championship, while Adesanya has returned to his dominant form at middleweight.

#2. Israel Adesanya vs. Jiri Prochazka

UFC Fight Night: Reyes v Prochazka Weigh-in

Another opponent for Israel Adesanya if he returns to light heavyweight is Jiri Prochazka. If Adesanya retains his middleweight championship and takes a non-title fight like Anderson Silva did, Prochazka would make the most sense. Both fighters’ styles would make for quite an entertaining bout.

Prochazka is on a 12-fight winning streak that dates back to his RIZIN tenure, where he was the RIZIN light heavyweight champion. What makes the winning streak even more impressive is that 11 of his last 12 wins have come by KO/TKO. Prochazka has defeated many notable fighters including ‘King Mo’ Lawal, Dominick Reyes, and current Bellator light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov.

Prochazka is expected to receive the next title shot, so the outcome will determine where he stands in the division. Adesanya vs. Prochazka would be an intriguing striking battle and could end in spectacular fashion.

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#1. Israel Adesanya vs. Glover Teixeira

UFC Fight Night Santos v Teixeira: Weigh-Ins

Topping this list of opponents for Adesanya if he returns to light heavyweight is Glover Teixeira. The reigning UFC light heavyweight champion did the unthinkable at UFC 267, when he defeated Blachowicz to become the new champion. At 42-years-old, Teixeira became the second oldest champion in UFC history. The champion had a career resurgence in 2019 and has since won 6-straight fights.

His past three fights were the most remarkable as he finished ‘Lionheart’ Smith, Thiago Santos, and Jan Blachowicz. This is impressive because they are all top-5 light heavyweights in the UFC and were viewed as tough fights for Teixeira.

If Adesanya continues to retain his UFC middleweight championship, he could find himself with another light heavyweight title shot eventually. Adesanya is expected to defend his title against former champion Robert Whittaker next. This will be the second rematch of his middleweight title reign. If he gets past Whittaker decisively, it may not be long before he gets a second chance to earn champ-champ status.