Israel Adesanya gives honest take on how next fight could put him on a collision course with Dricus du Plessis and Sean Strickland

Israel Adesanya has shared his take on potential future matchups, suggesting that his upcoming clash at UFC Saudi Arabia could lead to rematches with Dricus du Plessis and Sean Strickland. With du Plessis and Strickland set to contest the title at UFC 312, Adesanya believes a win could see him take on the victor.

'The Last Stylebender' is gearing up for a comeback. After consecutive losses to Strickland in 2023 and du Plessis in 2024, Adesanya will be eager to return to winning ways. He's set to face No.5-ranked Nassourdine Imavov on Feb. 1 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in his first non-pay-per-view bout since 2018.

In a recent interview with Sky Sport NZ, Adesanya discussed the implications of his next fight:

"If I win this fight, and then you've got Dricus and Sean fighting, I might be on a collision course with the winner of that fight."

Reflecting on his preparation and mindset, he stated:

"At least the worst part is over in my head, now I can have fun."

Check out Israel Adesanya's comments below (8:30):

Imavov enters this fight with momentum, boasting a three-fight winning streak. The 28-year-old French-Russian fighter aims to leverage this opportunity to propel himself into title contention. A win over Adesanya will likely see him claim the Kiwi's No.2 spot in the rankings.

---

Dricus du Plessis responds to Islam Makhachev's middleweight ambitions

Dricus du Plessis, the reigning UFC middleweight champion, has reacted to lightweight champion Islam Makhachev's interest in moving up to the middleweight division for a potential title fight. Makhachev, after his recent victory, expressed a desire to challenge du Plessis in pursuit of three-division championship success.

Watch Makhachev call for a bout with du Plessis below:

In response, du Plessis acknowledged Makhachev's impressive performance and championship status. However, he emphasized the significant difference in their natural sizes and expressed confidence in his ability to dominate Makhachev in any scenario. In an interview with Fox Sports Australia, 'Stillknocks' stated:

"He trains with 185ers in his gym, but there is only one world champion. So, kudos to him – but it doesn’t really matter because I’ll overpower him in any situation."

He further highlighted the disparity in their weight classes, adding:

"I know he walks around heavy, but I walk around heavy. He’s a big lightweight, I’m a big middleweight. There’s a big difference there."

Check out Dricus du Plessis' response to Islam Makhachev's comments below: