Israel Adesanya expresses keen interest in Sean Strickland rematch, explains deeper reason behind wanting to protect "the inner child"

Israel Adesanya recently expressed his wish to get back in the win column by prevailing over Sean Strickland in a potential rematch. Adesanya also gave an explanation of why he wanted to face Strickland again.

In their first contest at UFC 293 in 2023, Strickland stunned everyone and captured the 185-pound belt by securing a unanimous decision win over Adesanya. 'The Last Stylebender' faced a lot of criticism for his poor performance and hasn't won since.

In a recent video posted on his YouTube channel, Adesanya spoke to David Goggins and revealed that his training session with former champion Kamaru Usman sparked his desire to fight again, as he pushed for a future rematch against Strickland, saying:

''I sparred with Kamaru Usman for the first time in months...So for me now, I'm like, Ok, I told Hunter (Campbell) already, I told coach, that it's time. I just knew, and I know who. I have a feeling who I want to fight. You'll like this one. I gotta get some get back. Strickland. I'm gonna get him back."

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

According to the Nigerian-born Kiwi, he needed to exact revenge on Strickland since the 34-year-old beat him when he was at the top of the game.

''Because he beat me...whooped my a*s badly...Everything he's done since that – because, I used to get bullied a lot as a kid. So, he's an embodiment of that in a sense. He attacked the young me, the inner child. So, I just want to protect him and get some get back for him."

Check out Israel Adesanya's comments below (8:05):

After an unsuccessful effort to recapture his title against reigning champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 305, Adesanya competed in a non-title bout for the first time since 2019. He faced Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Saudi Arabia earlier this year and suffered a second-round knockout defeat.

MMA coach believes Israel Adesanya could draw inspiration from Alexander Volkanovski

Many believe Israel Adesanya's time in the octagon is limited due to his poor performance over the last two years.

However, in a recent interview with Submission Radio, Adesanya's coach Eugene Bareman revealed that the former champion is keen to return to winning ways and should look to his close friend Alexander Volkanovski for inspiration. Notably, Volkanovski proved his critics wrong and became a two-time featherweight champion at UFC 314.

''The one brief conversation that he had with me … he said, ‘Look, man, I think I’m going to fight again...I couldn’t believe how many people that I was hearing were writing Volk off. So we have a very close friend friend of ours, and we look at his work ethic and that’s the example. That’s the bar...And that’s a heavy, heavy commitment to dedicate yourself as much as Volk does.''

Check out Eugene Bareman's comments below (26:26):

About the author

Swagat is a dynamic MMA writer with a total experience of a little less than a year, which includes time in retail and sports journalism. He holds an MBA degree.

Swagat fell in love with the sport after watching the iconic grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in early 2015. Nate Diaz holds a special place in his heart for the Stockton native’s entertaining fan-friendly style and ability to deliver exciting fights regardless of the opponent.

In terms of rule changes in MMA, Swagat advocates for making scores public after each round, adding transparency to judging decisions.

Swagat prioritizes accuracy and relevance while writing and conducts thorough research to ensure the content is fresh and reliable.

He enjoys playing football and painting during his free time.

Know More

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

Edited by Tejas Rathi