5 possible opponents for Israel Adesanya in 2022

#4. Israel Adesanya vs. Derek Brunson

Could 2022 see a rematch between Israel Adesanya and Derek Brunson?

Israel Adesanya’s vicious knockout win over Derek Brunson at UFC 230 in November 2018 was the first real sign that ‘The Last Stylebender’ was for real. However, could these two men rematch in 2022?

It’s definitely not out of the realm of possibility. It might seem slightly surprising given that he’s flown largely under the radar, but Adesanya’s win over Brunson is actually the last time that the 38-year-old was defeated in the octagon.

Since then, the former Strikeforce man has gone 5-0, impressing in each appearance. Most importantly, he enjoyed an absolutely fantastic 2021, defeating both Kevin Holland and Darren Till, both of whom had been talked up as potential opponents for Adesanya.

Brunson is set to face Jared Cannonier at UFC 271 on the same night that Adesanya faces Robert Whittaker. If he can defeat ‘The Killa Gorilla’ then it’s hard to imagine the UFC denying him a shot at ‘The Last Stylebender’, assuming he still holds his title of course.

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#3. Israel Adesanya vs. Jared Cannonier

Jared Cannonier could well claim a UFC middleweight title shot in 2022

The highest-ranked contender in the UFC middleweight division yet to face Israel Adesanya is Jared Cannonier, who currently sits at No.3. That alone makes him a definite candidate to go head-to-head with ‘The Last Stylebender’ in 2022.

Cannonier has looked excellent ever since dropping to 185 pounds in 2018. He has delivered nasty stoppage victories over David Branch, Anderson Silva and Jack Hermansson. Most recently, he outpointed Kelvin Gastelum in an impressive main event showing.

‘The Killa Gorilla’ has only suffered one loss as a middleweight, a setback against Robert Whittaker in 2020. Realistically, there’s no shame in that and it won’t stop him from claiming a title shot should he defeat Derek Brunson in February.

How would Cannonier match up with Adesanya? The truth is that on paper, at least, he’d be an opponent that you’d favor ‘The Last Stylebender’ to defeat comfortably. However, in the world of the UFC, you never know.

If nothing else, ‘The Killa Gorilla’ has the kind of punching power to make things interesting. As he’s only one step away from a title shot, the likelihood of him fighting Adesanya this year is pretty high.