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Israel Adesanya has expressed interest in moving up to Light Heavyweight in an attempt to become Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) next “champ-champ,” even though Robert Whittaker is waiting in the wings for his shot at revenge against the Middleweight champion.
But it seems Adesanya may get what he wants after current 205-pound champion, Jan Blachowicz, posted a message on Twitter accepting the “The Last Stylebender’s” request to tango.
“I have heard that Israel Adesanya wants to face me next. No problem, If you are ready to fight in March, let’s do this. Prepare for a some fireworks guys,” Blachowicz wrote.
As it stands, there isn’t a clear-cut No. 1 contender at 205 pounds. Thiago Santos and Glover Teixeira are set to collide at UFC Vegas 13 on Nov. 7, 2020 and the winner could very well earn a shot, though it’s now a foregone conclusion.
As far as the landscape at 185 pounds, Whittaker earned a shot at reclaiming his strap by battering Jared Cannonier last Saturday at UFC 254 on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (highlights). But it seems Team Adesanya isn’t too thrilled in taking part in the rematch so soon after dethroning Whittaker from the top of the Middleweight mountain a year ago.
So if that fight can’t be made, we could very well get Adesanya vs Blachowicz in five months. It’s not the Light Heavyweight superfight we were all hoping to get in 2021, but it’s something.