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#2. Israel Adesanya's wrestling has improved
Israel Adesanya is one of the most seasoned strikers in the UFC middleweight division. He has improved massively in other aspects of his game too. Until recently, he had one glaring chink in his armor - wrestling. He was constantly pressured by wrestlers. In fact, it was the main reason why he suffered the first loss of his MMA career against Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259.
However, Adesanya has worked on his wrestling defense. He showcased an improved wrestling IQ against Marvin Vettori at UFC 263, which helped him dominate 'The Italian Dream' 50-45 on all scorecards. With another addition to his already formidable arsenal, 'Izzy' could be invincible in the UFC middleweight division.
#1. Izzy could vacate his title as the undefeated middleweight champion
It is no longer a secret Israel Adesanya wants to conquer the light heavyweight division. Like all great UFC fighters, he also dreams of becoming a multi-division champion.
He has already acquired a taste of the 205-pound class in his outing against champion Jan Blachowicz. 'Izzy' said after his UFC 259 loss:
"This is not a one-off. I definitely will be back."
Adesanya won the interim UFC middleweight title at UFC 236 and then the unified title six months later in 2019. He has defended his belt thrice since then, and is now tipped to do it once again in his rematch against Robert Whittaker. Once 'Izzy' is done beating every potential UFC middleweight contender, he could gun for light heavyweight gold.
While a case could be made for Adesanya to frequent between the two divisions, gaining and losing 20 pounds every few months would not be practical. After UFC 259, 'The Last Stylebender' admitted that size difference was a crucial factor in his loss against Blachowicz.
To improve and establish himself as the light heavyweight king, Israel Adesanya will need to be heavier than 200.5 pounds.
