Israel Adesanya Predicts Winner of UFC 312 Title Fight Between ‘DDP’ and Sean Strickland

Having already gone toe-to-toe with both fighters, Israel Adesanya offered his prediction for who will leave UFC 312 with the middleweight championship wrapped around their waist.

Emanating from the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia on February 8, reigning 185-pound titleholder Dricus Du Plessis will put his gold on the line against the very man he took it from just over a year ago, Sean Strickland.

The rematch came as a bit of a surprise to fight fans considering how quickly undefeated Chechen monster Khamzat Chimaev tore through former champion Robert Whittaker last year. Even Du Plessis stated that he’d much prefer a fight with ‘Borz’ over anyone else. Still, the promotion opted to give ‘Tarzan’ another crack at the title after picking up a closely contested victory over Paulo Costa in June.

Adesanya, who has fought and lost to both Strickland and ‘DDP’ inside the Octagon, recently offered his prediction for how things could play out between the former and current titleholders in The Land Down Under.

“I say, I say that Dricus wins that one, if it’s close maybe, or maybe it’s more decisive this time, it’s gonna be a hard fight for both men but I think I would give the edge to Dricus in this fight,” Adesanya told MMAJunkie.

Israel Adesanya headlines the UFC’s return to Riyadh on February 1

While the world waits for Du Plessis and Strickland’s sequel scrap, fight fans will see Adesanya step back into the Octagon for his first non-title fight in six years. ‘The Last Stylebender’ will headline the UFC’s return to Saudi Arabia on February 1 when he meets Nassourdine Imavov inside the ANB Arena in Riyadh.

While the build-up to this fight may not produce the same type of animosity and intrigue as his scraps with Strickland or Du Plessis, Adesanya promises that the fight will produce the fireworks they’ve come to know and expect from the ‘Stylebender.’

“It’s always good to mix things up but again, this is just fighting. It’ll be pretty boring the lead-up to this fight for the fans who want like, that kind of stuff but the fights gonna be very exciting, that’s the sauce in this one,” Adesanya explained.

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