Israel Adesanya has expressed his interest in facing Khamzat Chimaev in 2025. The former two-time UFC middleweight champion recently suffered a fourth-round submission defeat against Dricus du Plessis in a bid to regain his title.
‘Stylebender’ finds himself on a two-fight losing streak, having also been outpointed by Sean Strickland at UFC 293 in September 2023. Currently, he is set to take on the rising star Nassourdine Imavov in Saudi Arabia on February 1.
Adesanya knows that securing another title shot may require more than just a victory over Imavov. Khamzat Chimaev remains a significant contender after his dominant performance against Robert Whittaker in October, where he won by first-round submission.
Fans were highly impressed by Chimaev’s work in that match, with many calling for him to receive an immediate title shot. However, the UFC organization decided to schedule Du Plessis vs. Strickland II for the middleweight championship, which will take place at UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia, on February 9.
Despite the UFC’s decision, Adesanya was not surprised to see Chimaev overlooked. He acknowledged the impressive nature of Chimaev’s win over Whittaker, stating, “I was surprised the way Khamzat ran through Rob, that was crazy.” This performance sparked Adesanya’s desire to compete against Chimaev in the future.
In other news, earlier this week, there was a surprising rumor regarding Alex Pereira’s next title fight. Pereira, the reigning light heavyweight champion, was expected to face Magomed Ankalaev in the upcoming year but hinted on social media that he might reject Ankalaev, fueling speculation about a possible matchup with Chimaev instead.
Former heavyweight contender Brendan Shaub reacted to the rumor on Instagram, sharing a post with an enthusiastic caption expressing his excitement about the potential fight. The speculation has even reached Robert Whittaker, who believes Chimaev would likely defeat Pereira if their fight were to happen.
Whittaker commented on the possibility, saying, “I saw a rumor that Chimaev might go up and fight Pereira – imagine that… Chimaev [wins] easily – maybe not easily – but Chimaev [wins] though… Unless the heavyweight strength changes his dynamic, Chimaev would get the takedown.” He added that while Pereira is a skilled striker, Chimaev’s grappling abilities could give him the advantage.
There’s considerable interest surrounding these potential matchups, and fans are eagerly waiting to see how the events unfold in the UFC’s middleweight and light heavyweight divisions.
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