Israel Adesanya isn’t concerned with collecting championships anymore. He’s looking for something a little more personal.
‘The Last Stylebender’ has been sitting on the sidelines ever since he surrendered the middleweight world title for the second time in less than a year at UFC 293 in September. However, Adesanya’s time to sit back and relax is almost over. Though no official announcements have been made, all signs point toward the ‘Stylebender’ making his return to the Octagon in August as the promotion heads to the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia for UFC 305.
Offering some insight into his mindset ahead of his long-awaited return, Adesanya made it clear that when he walks through that cage door, he’s not coming to reclaim a belt. He’s coming to collect heads.
“I’m excited,” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. “It’s been a year, almost a year, like 11 months by the time I get back in the octagon. People are always like, ‘I hope you get the belt back, I hope you get the belt back.’ Like, I got belts. I don’t need any more belts. I’m coming for heads.
“That’s what I want to do. I’m excited to come back, but everything comes at its own time. So, right now it’s training, chilling, working, relaxing, healing. Then when it’s time, it’s time for killing.”
Israel Adesanya is excited to return to action and says he's not coming back for belts:
"People are always like 'I hope you get the belt back'… I have belts. I don't need anymore belts. I'm coming for heads."
🎥 YT / @stylebender #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/MYAL7HrCwx
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 12, 2024
Israel Adesanya Expected to Challenge Dricus Du Plessis This Summer
Adesanya is expected to be the first man to challenge newly-minted middleweight titleholder Dricus Du Plessis.
Following an intense face-off at UFC 290, Adesanya and DDP appeared to be on a collision course, but those plans were temporarily derailed courtesy of Sean Strickland’s lights-out performance against Adesanya to take the title home last September.
Since then, Strickland has surrendered the strap to Du Plessis after coming up short on two of the three judges’ scorecards at UFC 297, once again setting the stage for a showdown between the Nigerian and the South African.
Watch the full video below:
