Israel Adesanya has offered some words of reassurance to his middleweight peers.
UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will try to turn in another classic performance when he challenges Jan Blachowicz for the light heavyweight title in the UFC 259 main event this Saturday. There has been speculation during the lead-up to this fight as to whether or not a victory for Adesanya will mean the middleweight title being in limbo or a new champion being crowned in the division.
Israel Adesanya Vows To Return To Middleweight After UFC 259
The champ has now spoken, and his answers revealed that there will neither be a vacated title or a prolonged wait for answers at middleweight. Because if he makes history as the first middleweight-light heavyweight double champ in UFC history, he will then turn back the clock by returning to a division where he’ll look to tarnish other middleweights’ futures.
“I’ll definitely go back down to 185,” Adesanya told MMA Junkie on Monday. “I have something else in my head that might interest (me after). But definitely going back down to 185 is my goal. I want to keep my division moving.”
At the moment, the two key fights in the division coming up are Darren Till vs. Marvin Vettori on April 10 and Robert Whittaker vs. Paulo Costa on April 17. Of these four names, the only fighter Adesanya has not defeated is Darren Till. Adesanya and Till have both exchanged mutual respect for one another’s skillset, so this could be the potential matchup that “might interest” the champion.
It does not seem that Robert Whittaker is of much interest to him, however. After Whittaker defeated Jared Cannonier, Adesanya decided the timing was right to challenge for another title without any mention of a potential rematch against Whittaker. Prior to the Whittaker/Cannonier fight, though, he did state that a victory for Cannonier would have made him next in line.
If the middleweights are not convinced of Adesanya’s return, they can find solace during these next few days in the fact that this topic may be rendered moot should Jan Blachowicz retain the light heavyweight championship this Saturday. Either way, April will be a big month for the middleweight title contenders, whether or not Adesanya walks away with gold in another division this Saturday.
Who would you like to see Israel Adesanya fight next if/when he defends his middleweight title again?
