UFC 287: Who will Israel Adesanya fight next after victory against Alex Pereira
Israel Adesanya recaptured his middleweight title after a sensational second-round knockout victory over rival Alex Pereira at UFC 287.
‘The Last Stylebender’ came into contention after a fifth-round knockout defeat to the Brazilian in November at UFC 281. It was the pair’s fourth time meeting, their second in the octagon, and it was the first time in where Adesanya came out on top.
In the first round, Pereira used his sharp punch and delivered relentless calf kicks, with both men trying to find their distance. In the second round, both men would move forward a bit more. Midway through the round, the Brazilian landed a series of consecutive shots, including a brutal knee to the body that left Adesanya on the ropes.
However, ‘Stylebender’ landed a devastating right hand out of nowhere that shocked Pereira. Shortly after landing the first shot, Adesanya quickly landed another powerful right that sent the Brazilian to the canvas. The hammer fists followed and soon enough the fight was waved off to give the City Kickboxing star the win.
But what’s next for Adesanya? And when will he fight next? Sports mail gives all the answers below.
Israel Adesanya regained his middleweight title after knocking out Alex Pereira at UFC 287
Adesanya showed some setback after being hit with many brutal calf kicks in the first round
Who will Adesanya fight next?
Despite knocking out most of the middleweight division before losing to Pereira at UFC 281 in November, it’s fair to say that Adesanya isn’t short of options going forward.
ALEX PEREIRA
There may be few UFC fans who wouldn’t want to see the trilogy, but the pair are currently 1-1 in an MMA setting. A trilogy fight in the octagon to really settle the score makes a lot of sense.
However, speaking on the UFC 287 post-fight press conference, it seems that Adesanya is not interested in a trilogy fight. ‘The Last Stylebender’ said, ‘I don’t keep score, I settle them, and now it’s settled.’
“Now he has to do the hard yards if he wants to do that (the trilogy fight), but I don’t think he will,” Adesanya added.
KHAMZAT CHIMAEV
Since his UFC debut in 2020, Khamzat Chimaev has dominated every fight he has played in. Borz defeated Kevin Holland 12-0 in his final fight at UFC 279.
On that night, Chimaev was originally supposed to fight Nate Diaz, but lost 7.5 pounds.
With the undefeated star struggling to reach welterweight, a move to 185 makes a lot of sense.
A trilogy fight between Adesanya and Pereira could be on the line with the series level at 1-1
Khamzat Chimaev is another name in contention for a fight with the middleweight champion
JAMAHAL HILL
Today, it is typical for champions to move up and down weight categories and become title holders in two divisions.
Jamahal Hill is currently the light-heavyweight champion after defeating Glover Teixeira at UFC 283 in January.
Against Hill, ‘Stylenbender’ can be sure he can get the job done, as the bout against the Light Heavyweight Champion is a close match stylistically for the Middleweight Champion.
JAN BLACHOWICZ
Another name Adesanya might consider is former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz.
‘The Last Stylebender’ lost twice in his career so far. After avenging his defeat to Pereira last night, Adesanya may be looking to take on Blachowicz for a second time.
Instead of the fight taking place at 205 pounds, Blachowicz took to Twitter revealing that he will cut down to middleweight. The Pole tweeted: “Congratulations on a successful rematch, @stylebender. If you want to try another, you know where to find me. This time at middleweight for your belt.”
Should Adesanya move up a division, Jamahal Hill would be the current light-heavyweight champion
Jan Blachowicz took to Twitter last night calling for a rematch with ‘The Last Stylebender’
When will he fight next?
Since his UFC debut in 2018, Adesanya has fought at least twice a year.
While Adesanya’s next fight has yet to be revealed, he will almost certainly fight again in 2023.
Last year, ‘Stylebender’ fought a total of three times. Those three fights were against Robert Whittaker, Jared Cannonier and the first fight with Pereira.
Therefore, we can expect Adesanya back in the octagon sometime this year.
While the UFC has yet to announce their full schedule by the end of the year, ‘Stylebender’ will surely headline another pay-per-view event.
It is likely that the middleweight champion will set foot in the cage towards the end of the summer, heading into the end of the year.
When did Adesanya fight Blachowicz?
Should Adesanya fight Blachowicz next, it will be the second time the pair have met in their careers.
The first fight took place at UFC 259 in November 2021.
‘Stylebender’ entered the fray after a dominant performance against Paulo Costa at UFC 253.
Jan Blachowicz (L) defeated Israel Adesanya at UFC 259 in March 2021
With options short for Adesanya at 185, the middleweight king decided to move up a division.
The fight against Adesanya was Blachowicz’s first title defense after winning the title following his win against Dominick Reyes.
In the fight with Adesanya, the Pole used his size to his advantage. The first few rounds were slow, but Blachowicz picked it up in the last two rounds.
Blachowicz landed two takedowns in the last two rounds and would go on to win the fight via decision.