'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Israel Adesanya wants Darren Till to keep winning fights so the two can square up someday.
During a recent interview with ESPN, the champion was asked which fighter intrigues him the most to defend his middleweight belt against. Adesanya responded with Darren Till's name and told ESPN that Till's fighting style excites him.
However, Stylebender added that Darren Till needs to keep winning his fights for the bout to come to fruition.
"To be honest... None of them except Till. And I just keep saying, I hope he keeps winning so we can have that fight because you know the vibes. I just like that style... If he wants to be that Muay Thai master and he thinks he can stand up with me, be my guest. Ya I like Till, I like the style and I'll like to fight him but he just gotta win man. He just gotta get his shit together and keep winning Till," Israel Adesanya said.
UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is set to challenge reigning light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz at the UFC 259 PPV event on March 6, 2021. Adesanya is a betting favorite heading into the fight but his future at middleweight is uncertain at this point due to several reasons.
Israel Adesanya defeated all the top contenders in 185lb weight group during his three-year run in the division. He has long-standing beef with former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who is expected to make his heavyweight debut in late 2021.
However, Israel Adesanya has not ruled out a move to heavyweight either.
Unless the circumstances are right and there is a fresh streaking contender at middleweight, the likelihood of Israel Adesanya going back down is less.
Darren Till has the promise and an interesting fighting style to become the contender that will excite the champ.
Israel Adesanya and Darren Till mutually agreed to fight at a future date
Darren Till moved up to middleweight after two back-to-back losses in welterweight. The Gorilla defeated Kelvin Gastelum in his divisional debut to get matched up with former champion Robert Whittaker.
Till lost the fight via unanimous decision but expressed his desire to fight Israel Adesanya.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for Israel. I think he is a great fighter. This is no disrespect to him, but he is probably an easier fight for me than Rob. We’d probably have a great striking battle. Rob is a bit different because he mixes it up. Israel is the champion and is a great MMA fighter but he is a pure striker. We would have a great fight... Me and Israel are going to fight one day... Give me a bit of time, I will come back and knock someone out and then we will fight. I’m still at the top,” Darren Till said.
Israel Adesanya took to Twitter following the fight to express similar thoughts on Darren Till as a potential opponent.
Both Darren Till and Israel Adesanya are young fighters who have time on their side. But any talk of a potential fight should be shelved for now as Darren Till has a huge challenge ahead of him when he fights Marvin Vettori on April 10, 2021.
Adesanya, on the other hand, should be wary of the legendary Polish power when he challenges Jan Blachowicz for the light heavyweight title on March 6, 2021.
