Israel Adesanya is expressing his wish for a second fight against Sean Strickland later this year.
The year 2023 was quite varied for Adesanya. In April, he finally overcame his long-standing rival, Alex Pereira, securing a knockout victory over “Poatan” in the second round of their championship bout at UFC 287. Not only did Adesanya regain his title that night, but his dramatic finish also earned him Knockout of the Year honors for overcoming his past losses. However, just five months later, fortunes changed drastically for “The Last Stylebender” when he lost his recently reclaimed belt to Strickland following a one-sided contest at UFC 293. Now, he is seeking to settle the score.
Speaking with media members on the red carpet of the 2025 UFC Hall of Fame event, where Adesanya was being inducted for his memorable 2019 fight against Kelvin Gastelum, Adesanya confirmed his hope of returning to action against Strickland, potentially in September or October.
When asked about facing Strickland again in the fall, Adesanya remarked, “I think he might be dealing with something internally. I haven`t seen much myself, but someone shared a screenshot with me saying, `Oh, he`s gotten fat now.` When I saw it, I thought, wow.”
“Sean is certainly someone who carries a lot from the past, dealing with trauma. We all face difficulties. But for him, this is easy stuff. He should have just said something back and started mocking me or whatever. That`s the kind of thing Sean Strickland does, but he`s remained unusually quiet.”
Adesanya added with a laugh, “Sean, it`s June, which is men`s mental health month. I hope you are taking care of your mental health, and also your physical health. You fat bitch.”
However, Strickland`s silence didn`t last long. Only a few days after Adesanya`s comments, Strickland found himself in another problematic situation when he entered the cage at a Tuff-N-Uff event in Las Vegas and struck a fighter who had provoked him after defeating one of Strickland`s teammates. There has been no official word yet on whether Strickland might face a suspension from regulatory bodies for this recent incident, but if he does, it could potentially complicate Adesanya`s plans for a rematch.
