Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has expressed his desire for a rematch against ex-titleholder Sean Strickland.
He beat me fair and square in Sydney, five nil. I don’t wanna make excuses because he beat me. But then I just wanna show him if he beat me at my best. So, this time I’m gonna come in and correct. I used to get bullied a lot as a kid. So he’s an embodiment of that in a sense. He attacked a young me, the inner child. So, I wanna protect him and get some get-back on him.
Israel Adesanya in an interview with coach David Goggins
For context, in September 2023 at UFC 293, Adesanya lost to Strickland by unanimous decision.
Adesanya's last fight was against Nassourdine Imavov in February 2025 at UFC Fight Night 250. Israel lost that match by technical knockout in the second round. His current record stands at 24 wins and five losses.
