What’s Next For Sean Strickland After His Win Over Adesanya At UFC 293?

Sean Strickland pulled off one of the biggest upsets in UFC history when he defeated Israel Adesanya to become the new UFC middleweight champion at UFC 293 this past weekend. Strickland dominated the fight from start to finish to win the fight by unanimous decision. We look at what’s next for Sean Strickland and the middleweight division.

Israel Adesanya

Does Israel Adesanya deserve a rematch after losing two of his last three fights? His loss to Strickland was the first title defence of his second reign, and I don’t think he deserves an immediate rematch. His star power is the only reason it’s being considered, as a rematch with him and Strickland would be massive for the UFC.

Speaking after the fight, UFC President Dana White confirmed that Adesanya would get an immediate chance to regain the belt.

Another reason it wouldn’t make sense to do an immediate rematch is how active Adesanya has been as a champion. It would do him good to sit out for a while and take a deserved break.

Dricus du Plessis

South Africa’s Dricus du Plessis was next in line for the belt after he beat Robert Whittaker at UFC 290 in July. It was always going to be a tight turnaround to face Adesanya two months later. A foot injury ruled him out of a title opportunity which has resulted in him not being in Dana White’s good books.

A win over Whittaker would normally be enough to earn a title shot but it looks like the South African will have to win one more fight for a guaranteed title opportunity. If Adesanya doesn’t get an immediate rematch, then Du Plessis deserves a crack at the belt against Strickland.

Khamzat Chimaev Or Paulo Costa

Next month’s UFC 294 co-main event will see Khamzat Chimaev and Paulo Costa do battle in Abu Dhabi. It will be both men’s first fight of the year. Chimaev’s last fight was at UFC 279 in September last year, while Costa’s previous outing was against Luke Rockhold in August of last year.

Chimaev has the potential to be a massive star for the UFC but has been struggling to get fights booked, with a lot of middleweights avoiding him. The only solution to that would be becoming a champion, which would result in everyone looking to fight him. Does he deserve a title opportunity with a win over Costa? The answer is no, but his potential to become a star could see him pushed ahead of Du Plessis.