Israel Adesanya isn’t going to wait around on Sean Strickland.
A former two-time UFC middleweight champion, Adesanya is currently on the worst run of his career, losing his past three fights. The start of that losing streak was his shocking upset loss to Strickland at UFC 293, where he dropped the title in one of the biggest upsets in recent title history. Since then, the idea of a rematch between Adesanya and Strickland has been regularly floated as an option, but recently it gathered new steam when
Adesanya started called for the bout this year. But with no movement on that front, “The Last Stylebender” says he’s moving on.
“I’m not surprised,” Adesanya told Submission Radio. “If you want to get something done right, do it right the first time. That’s the lesson I learned. And he’s doing other things in his own life. He made the money he wanted to make. But again, me as well, I don’t want to be waiting around. I’ve moved on. I just want to fight.
“So I will fight — we’ll see. I just want to fight but we’ll see.”
Strickland is not on the greatest run right now either. Following his title win over Adesanya, the controversial fighter dropped the title to Dricus du Plessis in his next bout, won a lackluster decision over Paulo Costa a few months later, and then lost again to du Plessis earlier this year.
On top of that, Strickland also got suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for attacking a fighter while coach at a Tuff-N-Uff event in June. Strickland’s suspension expires on Dec. 29, though he can have that reduced to mid-October if he completes an anger management course approved by the commission.
Either way, the delay and Strickland’s seeming lack of interest in the rematch has Adesanya focused on any one of the myriad other middleweight contenders.
“Definitely,” Adesanya said about possibly fighting Anthony Hernandez, who recently fell out of a scheduled booking with Reinier de Ridder. “I’m just staying ready for everyone and anyone.”
