Israel Adesanya has had a challenging year. After losing his middleweight title to Sean Strickland in September of last year, the former 185lbs king was unable to regain it when he faced Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305 in August. Once a dominant champion for four years, Izzy has now suffered two losses in his last two bouts, leading many to question whether his career is nearing its end.

In a recent video shared on X, UFC CEO Dana White revealed that the former champion will return to the Octagon in 2025 to face #5 ranked Nassourdine Imavov. However, it seems he now has his eyes set on one particular fighter and wants to test himself against him.

Israel Adesanya wants to take on Khamzat Chimaev after his recent victory

A dominant win in February could earn Adesanya a shot at a number-one contender match against Khamzat Chimaev, who decisively defeated Robert Whittaker this October. ‘The Last Stylebender’ took to his YouTube channel to share his honest opinion of ‘Borz’ as a fighter. He said, “I knew they were going to go with this fight because I knew it was coming. They have already organized this so I wasn’t like oh what. I was surprised by the way Khamzat ran through Rob that was crazy. That was like wow that made me want to fight him. I was okay s..t this guy’s actually really really good.” 

With an undefeated record of 14-0, Chimaev has become one of the UFC’s biggest stars. However, his progress had been hindered by health issues in the past. The Chechen fighter has only competed four times in the past two years, with nearly a year-long gap between his last two bouts. However, a fully fit Chimaev can finish opponents in the first round itself which was pretty evident at UFC 308.

Adesanya is primarily known for his striking, but he has been putting in significant effort to enhance his ground game. If he were to face Chimaev soon, his wrestling would undoubtedly be tested. After all, ‘Borz’ is widely regarded as one of the best wrestlers in the promotion and will likely look to take Adesanya down at the first opportunity. In one of his interviews, he pointed out what exactly he feels about the former champion.

Khamzat Chimaev gives his honest review of Izzy

A win in Abu Dhabi should have secured a title shot for Chimaev. However, it could now set up a fight against former champion Israel Adesanya. During one of his interviews, Chimaev shared his thoughts on the potential matchup, acknowledging that while ‘Izzy’ is a skilled fighter but is no longer in his prime. The Chechnya native also offered his perspective on the comparison between himself and the two possible opponents he could face. Speaking to Daniel Cormier, ‘Borz’ said that he doesn’t consider Dricus Du Plessis a better fighter than the former champion despite his victory.

‘Borz’ said, “Izzy is a better fighter than Du Plessis, I think. Yeah, they fought [and Izzy lost] but. As a fighter, [you have to ask]; how much are you hungry? How much do you want it? These things [are what determines if] you can be a bad fighter. And some guy can beat you up for four rounds, and last round because you’re hard, you win the fight. So, that’s the thing he doesn’t have anymore. But he is a good fighter. I think he’s much better than Du Plessis.”

Chimaev could either face Adesanya in a title eliminator or earn a direct shot at the champion in the coming year. However, there is yet to be any official announcement made about the fight. How do you see this matchup unfolding? Do you believe Khamzat Chimaev can beat Adesanya if they ever take on each other? Share your thoughts in the comments below.