5 opponents for Israel Adesanya if he returns to light heavyweight

#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.