The statement quickly caught attention, considering ‘Borz’ is scheduled to defend his middleweight title against Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 328 in May. If the champion is seriously considering moving to light heavyweight, the upcoming fight could be his final appearance at 185 pounds.
The timing of the claim is equally interesting, as Israel Adesanya prepares to return to the Octagon after more than a year away. ‘The Last Stylebender’ will go one-on-one against Joe Pyfer this weekend in Seattle, hoping to end a three-fight losing streak that began after he lost the crown. While he is not currently in the title picture, any change at the top of the division could allow him to claw his way back into contention.
Khamzat Chimaev won the middleweight title last year with a convincing victory over Dricus du Plessis. However, soon after becoming champion, the internet was abuzz with rumors that he may eventually move up in weight, particularly given his size and previous issues with weight cuts in his career. Now, Adesanya’s latest comment has only added more fuel to those rumors.
If the move occurs, the outcome of UFC 328 becomes even more crucial. A win for Khamzat Chimaev might result in him vacating the title and chasing a second light heavyweight belt, while a loss would result in Sean Strickland taking the title instead, giving fans a rematch after ‘Tarzan’ delivered a massive upset at UFC 293 by dethroning ‘The Last Stylebender.’
In any case, Israel Adesanya’s leak signals that the middleweight division is about to undergo a massive shake-up pretty soon. And the UFC 328 title fight becomes one that surely decides the entire fate of the division. So, who will win the clash? Well, that’s up to fate to decide. But if ‘Izzy’ is to be believed, you can’t count Sean Strickland out.
Israel Adesanya breaks down Sean Strickland vs. Khamzat Chimaev
As mentioned earlier, Israel Adesanya believes the UFC 328 title fight might determine the future of the middleweight division, particularly if Khamzat Chimaev moves up with or without the title. As a result, the former champion is closely watching the matchup and isn’t convinced that the outcome will be one-sided. ‘Izzy,’ who has fought Sean Strickland before, understands the challenger’s ability to pull off another upset.
“I think he (Strickland) can (beat Chimaev) if it goes to the later rounds and he doesn’t get taken down,” Adesanya said in a recent interview with Paramount. “But again, Chimaev is a bat out of hell.
“He’s a guy who comes aggressively straight away. Strickland can match that probably, but we’ll see.”