“They Run It Back Because Outside of Dricus…”: Backtracking on Dana White’s Words, Former UFC LHW Champ Reveals Israel Adesanya Won’t Get an Immediate Title Shot Against Sean Strickland

Sean Strickland has shocked the MMA world. He defeated Israel Adesanya via a unanimous decision at UFC 293 last night. This has put the middleweight division in a tizzy. If Adesanya had won, he would have had his grudge match against #1 ranked middleweight and South African fighter Dricus Du Plessis.

In fact ‘Izzy’ was originally slated to fight the South African, but fought Strickland after the former pulled out to recover from a shoulder injury. And speculations are rife on who the new middleweight champion will fight next. MMA journalist Helen Yee asked former UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill his thoughts on Strickland’s next opponent.

Jamahal Hill speculates who Sean Strickland should fight next

Jamahal Hill began by praising Strickland for the performance and stated that his skills and abilities as a fighter cannot be questioned after his stellar performance against ‘Izzy’. He said that they could either have a rematch between ‘Tarzan’ and ‘Izzy’, or have the new champion face the #1 ranked Du Plessis. It should be noted, however, that UFC boss, Dana White has expressed his desire for an immediate rematch between the two.

“You can’t doubt the man. You can’t doubt the man dance, you know. I think that possibly they run it back because outside of Dricus [Du Plessis] there is no clear no. 1. So, yeah, they might do that,” Hill told Yee.

Strickland outclasses Adesanya in another UFC title bout upset

Sean Strickland put on a defensive clinic in his bout against Adesanya at UFC 293 last night. He took the center early and was able to knock down ‘Stylebender’ in the first round. The second round was probably the best round Adesanya had, but he was not able to land anything significant that could trouble ‘Tarzan’. The next three rounds went to Strickland as the former champion struggled to figure the American out. At the end of the five scheduled rounds, Strickland came out as the new middleweight champion of the world.

READ MORE: True African Fight Interrupted as Dricus Du Plessis Can’t Believe Sean Strickland Dropped Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 in One of the Biggest Upsets in MMA History

Time and time again, the UFC has shown just how unpredictable the sport of mixed martial arts can be. Few people expected Leon Edwards to defeat the then-welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in their two fights, but he did. Fewer people expected Sean O’Malley to defeat ex-bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, but he did. And that is the beauty of the sport. It takes just one mistake, one miscalculation, one momentary lapse in concentration for a fighter to lose. Who do you think Israel Adesanya should fight next? Let us know in the comments section below.

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