Surging middleweight contender ready for never-before-seen clash against Israel Adesanya

Israel Adesanya reclaimed his UFC middleweight title by defeating archnemesis Alex Pereira via second-round KO at UFC 287 this past weekend. Following his incredible win against Pereira, UFC middleweight contender Roman Dolidze has expressed interest in taking on the champion.

The consensus is that the official UFC rankings that'll be updated this week will feature Alex Pereira, Robert Whittaker (No.2), Marvin Vettori (No.3), Jared Cannonier (No.4), and Paulo Costa (No.5) in the top five. Adesanya has faced and defeated all the aforesaid fighters.

Additionally, Adesanya has also beaten No. 8-ranked Derek Brunson. However, the Nigerian-born Kiwi hasn't faced No.6-ranked Dricus du Plessis, No.7-ranked Sean Strickland, No.9-ranked Roman Dolidze and No.10-ranked Jack Hermansson yet.

It's also believed that with Alex Pereira possibly moving up to light heavyweight, Israel Adesanya is unlikely to face him in a trilogy bout anytime soon. It's unclear as to who Adesanya will fight next.

Roman Dolidze has taken to Twitter to call for a fight against middleweight kingpin Adesanya. Addressing the Adesanya-Pereira UFC 287 matchup's aftermath, the Georgian fighter suggested that he'd present a fresh challenge to 'The Last Stylebender'.

Dolidze tweeted:

"I’m back on Twitter! I just watched a title bout and it’s obvious that Adesanya’s victory opens many doors for fighters who has not fought him. I’ll get this guys!"

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Is UFC middleweight contender Dricus du Plessis on a collision course with Israel Adesanya?

Apart from Roman Dolidze, another rising middleweight contender who's lobbying for a title shot against UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is Dricus du Plessis. The South African middleweight has consistently expressed interest in fighting Adesanya. He's also claimed he'll become the UFC's first real African champion.

Many viewed this as a jibe by du Plessis against Adesanya, as the latter too is of African heritage. During the UFC 287 post-fight press conference, Adesanya referenced du Plessis' statements without directly naming him. 'The Last Stylebender' warned that if they fought, he'd "drag his carcass across South Africa."

Dricus du Plessis later took to Twitter to respond to Nigerian-born New Zealand MMA stalwart's apparent threat. He alluded to the fact that Adesanya resides in New Zealand. Moreover, insinuating that he's unafraid of potentially fighting the champion, du Plessis wrote:

"So you won’t say my name, that’s smart you better not. I don’t need your airtime at all, I have my whole continent of AFRICA behind me. Go enjoy your very spectacular victory at home in New Zealand. We are Africa we fear nothing. #stillknocks #greenandgold🇿🇦 #proudlyafrican"