Israel Adesanya was looking well on his way to clinching his title against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305. By the fourth round, ‘Izzy’ started looking his sniping best against the reigning middleweight champion. But Du Plessis being the enigmatic fighter he is, kept attacking relentlessly and managed to turn the tables, catching Adesanya in a lethal rear naked choke hold. Now, the former champion will have to work his way up to the top once again after dominating the division for most of the post-GSP era.

But Du Plessis, surprisingly, doesn’t think that the Kiwi-Nigerian has it in him to get back to the top. “You know if he goes out there and he gets a couple more wins because if you look at his streak right now I think he’s on a three-fight losing streak, he’s too far… So he’s going to be a couple of fights away because he got his chances to stay champion, to get the belt back. But he, I think right now, he needs two or three big wins and I don’t I just don’t know if that’s the route for for Israel Adesanya. I don’t know if he gets back there, you know,” the South African said in an interview with Submission Radio.

On the other hand, ‘Stillknocks’ clarified that he is still very enthusiastic about a rematch with the superstar. If that is, ‘Izzy’ indeed could make his way back to the top.

“Massive respect, but you know, at his age and what he’s accomplished in the sport, I just don’t think that’s the hunger and that motivation to get all the way back to the titles is there. But you know I would love to do that again if it’s a fight that makes sense,” the South African added. The champ felt that Adesanya was a couple of victories against young top-ranked guys like #5 ranked Nassourdine Imavov and #6 Caio Borralho away from fighting for the middleweight gold again.

If you know you go beat a guy like Imavov then fighting Borralho, and beating him, I mean that’s two young up-and-coming lions that are new in the top five or top ten beating them. That definitely gets you right back up there,” ‘DDP’ said, before suggesting whom Adesanya wants to fight next.

Dricus Du Plessis thinks ‘Izzy’ is desperate to regain honor by beating Strickland

Dricus Du Plessis felt that the one fight that Israel Adesanya desperately wanted was a rematch with Sean Strickland. ‘Izzy’, of course, lost his title to ‘Tarzan’ in perhaps the biggest upset in UFC history last September. Not only did Strickland knock down Adesanya in the first round, but dominated him for five rounds in what is the Kiwi-Nigerian’s most polarising loss of his career. That is why Du Plessis is sure Adesanya wants payback.

“I know in his mind right now, I believe Israel Adesanya- Sean Strickland that is one fight that I know Izzy wants back. I think, you know, he believes he didn’t perform the way he could in that fight,” he said.

For now, however, the one probably facing Strickland will be Du Plessis, who took the title of the American earlier this year. While an exact date is yet to be set, UFC CEO Dana White has confirmed that Strickland is next for the champ. In the meantime, Adesanya (who is one of the more active fighters in the promotion) may be well on his way to another title shot and a rematch with either Strickland or ‘DDP’. What do you think about Dricus Du Plessis’ comments about Israel Adesanya?