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With the middleweight title clash between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira right around the corner, Sean Strickland has stated that he believes the champion will fight "like a b*tch" to retain his throne.
The controversial middleweight was potentially just one win away from a title shot before being knocked out by 'Poatan' at UFC 276. Despite the loss, the 31-year-old Strickland now has a chance to reinsert himself into title contention when he clashes with No.2-ranked Jared Cannonier in December.
While appearing on Brendan Schaub's Food Truck Diaries, Sean Strickland admitted that he expects "hard to fight" Israel Adesanya to beat Alex Pereira but is anticipating the champion to "run around" and avoid striking exchanges:
"I got Izzy. Izzy's gonna dance around, f***ing run around, fight like a b*tch. He's not gonna do what I do, he's not gonna stand in front of him... I think Izzy's gonna win, Izzy has a very strange body type, [he's] hard to fight."
'The Last Stylebender' has the chance to gain some revenge on Pereira when the two meet in the octagon at Madison Square Garden on November 12. Although he is much less experienced in the sport, the Brazilian has already gotten the better of the UFC 185lbs king on two separate occasions in kickboxing.
Having already beaten the elite in his division, Israel Adesanya's potential redemption against his former kickboxing foe could solidify him as one of the greatest middleweights to ever grace the octagon.
Check out what Sean Strickland had to say about the highly anticipated title fight in the video below:
Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira and other notable fights at UFC 281
UFC 281 will take place on November 12. While most are tuning in for the high-level striking set to be on display in the main event, the promotion is treating its fans to a fantastic card.
Serving as the co-headliner for the evening, newly crowned women's strawweight champion Carla Esparza puts her belt on the line against heavy-hitting challenger Zhang Weili.
A brawl that has all the potential to steal the spotlight and be a contender for Fight of the Year will unfold when Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler collide in a possible title eliminator showdown.
Fan-favorite Molly McCann will aim to continue her winning run, Dominick Reyes makes his long-awaited return to the octagon, and Dan Hooker faces Claudio Puelles in a lightweight war, in other must-watch matchups.
