Sean Strickland unsure whether Israel Adesanya is "a real man" following former UFC champion's recent arrest

Sean Strickland has no sympathy for Israel Adesanya following the latter's recent airport troubles.

Adesanya found himself in hot water not long after his title loss to Alex Pereira at UFC 281 last month. The former champion was found carrying brass knuckles through JFK International Airport in New York City on November 16. Brass knuckles are illegal in New York and other states, resulting in TSA temporarily detaining the Nigerian-born Kiwi.

In a recent interview with Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie, Strickland was asked for his thoughts on Israel Adesanya's brief arrest at JFK International Airport, to which he answered:

"I don't know dude. If he's a real man, they would've found a f*****g gun in his bag... I have gone through the TSA with a bullet in my shoe once. They didn't stop me."

Watch the full interview below:

As per the latest reports, the Queens District Attorney’s Office, which handles the prosecution of violations of New York State laws, has handed Israel Adesanya an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal (ACD) at a hearing related to his November arrest at JFK International Airport.

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Sean Strickland on Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya rivalry and middleweight title picture

A new middleweight champion was crowned last month as Alex Pereira dethroned long-reigning 185-pound kingpin Israel Adesanya at UFC 281 in New York City. Considering Adesanya's prior accomplishments inside the octagon, 'The Last Stylebender' will likely get a rematch with Pereira, despite being down 0-3 to the Brazilian across MMA and kickboxing.

Sean Strickland agrees with the former champion deserving an immediate rematch and believes that, should Adesanya lose again, Robert Whittaker should fight Pereira for the middleweight title next. In the same interview with MMA Junkie, he said:

"I think [Robert] Whittaker deserves it once he beats [Paulo] Costa. He will beat Costa and I think Whittaker deserves it. They should let Whittaker get a shot."

Highlighting the lucrative potential of a rematch between two high-level strikers with an engaging storyline, Strickland added:

"If the UFC doesn't want you to fight for the belt, it doesn't happen. They would probably want Izzy to fight because Whittaker will probably just take him down and grind him out for f**king five rounds. So they're thinking let's milk this cash cow one more time with Izzy."

Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira will likely run it back next year. In the meantime, the rest of the middleweight contenders will be looking to put themselves in a prime position for title contention. Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa are set to lock horns at UFC 284 next year, while Sean Strickland and Jared Cannonier will lock horns in the final UFC fight of 2022.