One of the most dominant competitors in the UFC is Israel Adesanya, the former middleweight champion. Adesanya, who was dubbed “The Last Stylebender,” was incredibly skilled and dominated the 185-pound class. The crucial question today, though, is who will go on him next after he lost and then won the title back from Alex Pereira. Let’s examine some possible candidates who might challenge Adesanya; I promise you, things will become fierce.

Adesanya’s Reign and Challenges

We must examine Adesanya’s history as the middleweight champion in order to determine who might challenge him. Born in Nigeria and brought up in New Zealand, Adesanya gained notoriety in the UFC for his keen striking and great fight intelligence. In 2019, he defeated Robert Whittaker to win the interim middleweight belt, marking his first significant victory. From there, he went on to dominate the division, defeating top fighters like Derek Brunson, Yoel Romero, and Paulo Costa.

But his path wasn’t entirely easy. Adesanya fought Jan Błachowicz in 2021 after moving up to light heavyweight, but she lost because of the disparity in strength and size. He went back to middleweight and successfully defended his title until 2022, when he was knocked out by Alex Pereira. Adesanya recovered from this setback, but the question now is: who will come next?

Leading Applicants

There is a lot of talent in the UFC middleweight category, and these competitors might be the next to take on Adesanya:

  1. Whittaker, Robert :Despite losing both of his previous fights against Adesanya, Whittaker remains one of the best fighters in the division. He’s getting better and is still a real threat, as evidenced by his recent victories over Marvin Vettori and Jared Cannonier. The question of whether Whittaker can defeat Adesanya’s technical striking may ultimately be resolved in a third round between the two fighters.
  2. Cannonier, Jared : Cannonier is renowned for his ability to knock out opponents and is a strong boxer with a firm chin. Despite losing to Adesanya in their first bout, Cannonier’s victories over Derek Brunson and Kelvin Gastelum demonstrate that he remains a formidable opponent. He might possibly have the chance to defeat Adesanya if he can work on his fighting technique.
  3. A tenacious fighter: Marvin Vettori Vettori has already faced Adesanya in two close battles. He is a formidable opponent because to his pressure and grappling. Even if Vettori’s recent improvements could make their upcoming battle even more competitive, Adesanya’s striking maintained him ahead in their prior bouts.

Candidates from Dark Horse

In addition to the well-known figures, the following combatants might confront Adesanya:

  1. It was Alex Pereira Pereira who shockingly knocked out Adesanya to end her reign. Many fans would be thrilled to see a rematch between them, who have been rivals since their kickboxing days. Pereira’s strength and confidence make him a formidable opponent, and another bout between these two could be combustible.
  2. Costa Paulo In their first bout, Adesanya outclassed Costa, who is known for his knockout-heavy style. Costa is a continual threat due to his sheer strength, though, and if he can work on his technique, he might challenge Adesanya in a rematch.

Will Someone Step Up?

Although there is a lot of potential in the middleweight class, it is still unclear who will step up to take on Israel Adesanya. The next phase of Adesanya’s career is anticipated to be thrilling, regardless of whether it involves a well-known opponent like Whittaker or a newcomer like Pereira.a Who should get another chance to win the title, in your opinion? Tell us in the comments below!

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