“When Izzy lost to Pereira, all we could talk about was that he should be next,” MMAJunkie quoted the American as saying. “I don’t think that way this time. I don’t think Izzy should fight for the title in his next fight. I don’t think he should get an automatic rematch. I think the division should move on.”
“It’s a whole new world, as the Little Mermaid used to say. Shawn Strickland’s championship opens the door for a lot of new matches. Jared Cannonier just weighed in and he has a win over Strickland. I can envision Dricus Du Plessis being next, especially since he was supposed to fight this evening. I’m sure he’s berating himself in South Africa right now because he missed the perfect time to beat Adesanya. A lot was involved in this fight and Sean Strickland did what he had to do. But I think it should be Du Plessis, unless Khamzat Chimaev destroys Paulo Costa.”
Last weekend at UFC 293 in Sydney, Sean Strickland defeated Israel Adesanya by a 49-46 three-round unanimous decision to become the new UFC middleweight champion, and the organization’s president, Dana White, said after the tournament that the Nigerian would again get an immediate rematch.
Recall that last November, Israel Adesanya lost the championship belt, losing by technical knockout in the fifth round to Alex Pereira, but in March of this year regained the title in an immediate rematch, knocking out the Brazilian in the second five-minute round.
As for the bout between Hamzat Chimaev and Paulo Costa, it will take place on October 21 at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi.