"Makes it more exciting" - UFC commentator explains why Dricus du Plessis as champion is better for middleweight division than Israel Adesanya

Israel Adesanya’s title reign brought stability to the UFC middleweight division that had fallen into disarray after the Chris Weidman era ended in 2015. ‘The Last Stylebender’ defended the title several times and created a legacy that many believe rivals that of the great Anderson Silva.

However, the middleweight title has changed hands twice in the last few months. Sean Strickland ended Adesanya’s second title reign with a dominant win at UFC 293. Four months later, Dricus du Plessis snatched the title from Strickland in a closely contested UFC 297 main event.

While some may feel otherwise, Michael Bisping thinks that the title changing hands makes the division more exciting. The UFC commentator recently discussed the state of the middleweight division with ESPN MMA’s Marc Raimondi as top contenders Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa prepare to fight at this weekend’s UFC 298 PPV event.

‘The Count’ said that he feels the division might have a new champion before the winner of this fight gets the title shot. He explained the reason behind this opinion and said:

“Because the division’s moving along these days with all the new blood. It could be like a hot potato passing hands which I would love to see. Israel Adesanya was an incredible champion and it’s great to see somebody being so dominant and reach such a level of stardom. But when it’s changing hands it makes it more exciting. So there is a lot to play for right now because the championship could change hands soon.”

Watch Bisping make the statement below (5:20):

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Coach says Israel Adesanya has been steadily progressing in the gym

Israel Adesanya was one of the most active UFC champions. It was speculated that the strength of his schedule might have caught up with him, resulting in his loss against Sean Strickland.

Following the lopsided defeat, the 34-year-old announced that he would take an extended break from the competition.

However, recent updates on Adesanya’s social media accounts have led the MMA community to believe that he might end the hiatus soon. In an interview with Combat TV, Adesanya's coach Eugene Bareman recently said that the former champion will be fight-ready in the months to come:

"We’ve been going for a good month-and-a-half now. A couple more months, another month-and-a-half, he’ll be flying - back to pre-hiatus level. He’s looking good. It’s good to have him back in the gym. He has a renewed sort of energy, and he’s looking after himself really well. He’s been making the most of his time off, and he feels refreshed and ready to go."

Catch coach Bareman’s comments below (1:06):

Adesanya’s name has been proposed for the UFC 300 headlining bout. However, UFC CEO Dana White recently said that they are still trying to finalize a suitable main event.