Open to rematches, Israel Adesanya points to Paulo Borrachinha and former champion as targets in the UFC

P. Borrachinha (left) was defeated by I. Adesanya (right) in the UFC 253. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook @ufc

Away from the octagon since the loss to Nassourdine Imavov, in February, Israel adesanya is already starting to plan his comeback. The former middleweight champion, who is going through the worst streak of his career with three consecutive losses, revealed in an interview with The Sun, which has two rivals in its sights for the next performance: Paulo borrachinha e Sean Strickland.

Adesanya and Borrachinha faced off in September 2020, when Izzy, then the champion, defended his belt by knocking out the Brazilian in the second round in Abu Dhabi. The fight ended the Minas Gerais native's unbeaten streak and intensified the rivalry between the two. Five years later, the Nigerian is open to a rematch.

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"I don't need to say much (about facing Borrachinha). It would be fun. It would give him a chance for redemption, like they did for me," he declared.

Sean Strickland, in turn, staged one of the biggest upsets in recent UFC history by dethroning Adesanya in September 2023 in Australia with a dominant five-round performance. The setback marked the loss of the belt to Izzy, who began to experience an unstable period in the octagon.

"If Strickland wants to fight, sure. If not, that's fine too," he said.

At 36, Adesanya doesn't yet have a set return date, but he says he's motivated to bounce back and re-establish himself among the top names in the division. A rematch against Borrachinha or Strickland could represent not only a chance to regain his morale but also to reignite his pursuit of the middleweight title.