"He's not some long-reigning champion" - Can Israel Adesanya mend the "setback" to his legacy after UFC 293? Jon Anik answers

Jon Anik has given his take on whether or not Israel Adesanya is deserving of an immediate rematch against Sean Strickland and if the former champion can bounce back from his most recent loss.

Strickland stunned the world at UFC 293 in Sydney, Australia when he captured the middleweight title from Adesanya. 'Tarzan' dominated the fight from the off and utilized a pressure-heavy style that saw him drop 'The Last Stylebender' in the first round before later getting the nod on all three judges' scorecards.

The manner of Sean Strickland's victory has called into question whether or not Israel Adesanya deserves another shot at the belt. The Nigerian-New Zealander has now lost two of his last three fights, which includes dropping the title twice.

Weighing in on the future of the middleweight division was Jon Anik, who was on commentary during the pay-per-view. Speaking with Mike Heck of MMA Fighting, Anik gave his two cents about a potential rematch and if Adesanya can rebound from his defeat at UFC 293:

"I do believe [Israel Adesanya] can rebuild from this... depending on how he comes out the other side... That's why I don't believe he deserves an immediate rematch. He's not some long-reigning champion, he's a first-time defending champion in this situation... I do think legacy-wise you have to look at a Sean Strickland loss at this stage of his career at being the setback that it is."

Catch Anik's comments here (12:35):

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Robert Whittaker weighs in on whether or not Israel Adesanya deserves immediate rematch against Sean Strickland

Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker has claimed it would be "silly" for Israel Adesanya to get an immediate rematch against Sean Strickland.

'The Last Stylebender's' defeat to Strickland means he has now lost two of his last three fights. Adesanya had previously lost the title to Alex Pereira before getting his revenge against the Brazilian in their immediate rematch.

Speaking to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Whittaker admitted that Adesanya's loss puts the UFC in a difficult position but believes the Nigerian-New Zealander now needs to rack up some wins in order to fight for the gold again:

"I think it's silly if Izzy gets an immediate rematch. This isn't his first loss as champion, technically he didn't defend the belt again. He lost to Pereira and got the belt back and then lost it again. You have to ask, is the idea just to keep letting him have rematches when he loves? Relax, that's the fight game."

Catch Whittaker's comments here: