Could a hurried return at UFC 300 spell the end of Israel Adesanya's dominance in middleweight division? Exploring the possibility

Israel Adesanya making his potential octagon return at UFC 300 has been a point of interest in the MMA news cycle for some time now. If it does indeed come to pass, he would most likely take on newly minted UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis in an effort to reclaim his old title.

Alternatively, and less likely due to 'The Last Stylebender's' own admission, he could return to face his career rival, Alex Pereira, for the latter's light heavyweight strap. While a comeback fight would be one that Adesanya's fans would surely get behind, the initial buzz surrounding his return would fade quickly.

It would be replaced by expectation. Adesanya spent most of his career undefeated. Even after suffering his first loss, he remained a winner, for the most part. To return at UFC 300 only to lose would not be part of his vision. But would he lose if he rushes back?

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Israel Adesanya's mental state

The first time that fans saw true cracks in Israel Adesanya's otherwise bulletproof mentality was during the leadup to his bout with Sean Strickland. 'Tarzan' took aim at Adesanya by bringing up the latter's odd behavior with his deceased dog. He also criticized Adesanya for representing China during his kickboxing days.

This appeared to have its toll on Adesanya, who was uncharacteristically reticent at the UFC 293 pre-fight press conference. Usually, Adesanya responds to taunts and trash talk with fiery retorts, even if poorly conceived. But silence? That was unheard of, and for fans of the former kickboxer, it was worrying.

It was believed by many that Strickland had gotten inside Adesanya's head. Surely, however, this would have no impact on the fight itself. 'The Last Stylebender' was, in the opinion of many, the far superior fighter. Unfortunately, his supporters, much like Adesanya himself, had greatly underestimated Strickland.

At UFC 293, Adesanya was on the receiving end of the greatest upset in middleweight history, losing his title to Strickland, even suffering a knockdown from the otherwise pillow-fisted 'Tarzan.' It was a humiliating defeat, punctuated by Adesanya's listless resistance to Strickland's march in round five.

Check out Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland in round five:

In the post-fight proceedings, Adesanya approached Strickland, revealing the true depth of how his foe's trash talk about his deceased dog had affected him. Then, he shied away from the post-fight press conference, only appearing to briefly announce that his coach, Eugene Bareman, would answer questions on his behalf.

Then, he stunned the MMA world by announcing his hiatus from the sport. It was an unexpected move from 'The Last Stylebender,' and brings into question what his mental state will be like moving forward, especially in the event that he faces either Dricus du Plessis or Alex Pereira at UFC 300.

Du Plessis and Pereira are rivals of Adesanya, with the South African having a heated feud with the Nigerian-New Zealander. There is already evidence that dragging Adesanya into the depths of personal trash talk can have a severe impact on him. Could du Plessis, who did so to Strickland, do the same to Adesanya?

It isn't impossible, and if Adesanya finds himself unsettled by du Plessis, especially if he underestimates him, it could prove disastrous. Furthermore, he can be at nothing less than 110% dialed in against 'Poatan' at light heavyweight, where a massive weight cut does not drain the Brazilian.

Check out Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira 1 (MMA):

If Adesanya does indeed return at UFC 300, his mental state could be a concern. Will he be ready? Especially with so many waiting to question him on his decision to embark on a hiatus? Du Plessis will surely be waiting to characterize it as Adesanya fleeing from battle.

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Will Israel Adesanya even be in shape for UFC 300?

Israel Adesanya is currently nursing an injury of an undisclosed nature. Specifically, he is in the rehabilitation phase and fit enough to take part in light training. This could have serious implications for his potential octagon return at UFC 300 and may indicate that he won't be in optimal fighting condition.

The former middleweight champion was recently interviewed and revealed that he believes he will be back to full-time training toward the end of February. Unfortunately, this would render his preparation for a UFC 300 bout against either Dricus du Plessis or Alex Pereira suboptimal.

"Probably the end of next month, maybe."

Check out Israel Adesanya talk about his potential return:

Adesanya is a big believer in game-planning and preparation, and UFC 300 takes place on April 13. In short, this means that he'll begin full training, after coming off an injury, in late February. This is not nearly enough time for him to prepare for a fight set for early April.

He will only have the month of March to get into fighting shape, spar to get his timing and sharpness on point, devise a gameplan with his coaches and condition himself to follow it, and cut weight, among other things. Suboptimal preparation would only serve to prepare Adesanya for a loss, not a win.

This is especially true against his potential opponents, du Plessis and Pereira. Du Plessis will be motivated by his personal issues with Adesanya and to prove himself as the best representative of African MMA. Meanwhile, Pereira will be eager to avenge his only loss to Adesanya.

Check out Israel Adesanya confronting Dricus du Plessis:

If Adesanya makes his return at UFC 300, he would be rushing and suffer a likely loss.