Chael Sonnen shares his insights on Israel Adesanya’s loss to Sean Strickland and its impact on the middleweight title picture. Find out what Sonnen thinks about Dricus du Plessis’ chances and the possibility of an immediate rematch.
| Topic | Summary |
|---|---|
| Chael Sonnen’s Insights | Sonnen believes that Adesanya’s loss could affect Dricus du Plessis’ opportunity to fight for the middleweight title. He suggests that du Plessis should call out Adesanya to make a statement. |
| Middleweight Title Picture | Du Plessis seemed to be next in line for a title shot after defeating Robert Whittaker, but his path to the title now appears uncertain. Sonnen discusses the potential implications of Adesanya’s loss and the possibility of an immediate rematch. |
Chael Sonnen’s Take on the UFC Middleweight Title Picture
Chael Sonnen, a former three-time UFC title challenger, recently shared his thoughts on how Israel Adesanya’s loss to Sean Strickland could impact Dricus du Plessis’ title aspirations.
In a recent interview on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Sonnen discussed the potential implications of Adesanya’s defeat:
‘[Khamzat] Chimaev versus Paulo Costa just became the No.1 contender’s match. It wasn’t originally. It was the No.1 contender’s match for Chimaev if Chimaev wins and they were going to yank that rug and reveal that to us right after the fight, in case Paulo Costa won, but now because you got a new champion at top, Strickland versus Paulo works all day long. Strickland versus Chimaev, plus they’ve trained together, it works all day long.’
Sonnen, who has challenged for UFC titles in two weight classes, also suggested that du Plessis might be overlooked in the title picture:
‘That’s going to be the No.1 contender’s match and du Plessis is going to get forgotten yet again… If du Plessis really wanted to do the smart move, he calls for Adesanya. He’s not going to get Adesanya, but he calls for Adesanya as a way of letting the world know this is personal between he and I.’
Du Plessis had been considered the next in line for a middleweight title shot following his impressive victory over Robert Whittaker at UFC 290. However, after declining a bout against Adesanya at UFC 293, his path to a title opportunity seems uncertain.
Sonnen also expressed his belief that Adesanya should receive an immediate rematch against Strickland, despite some fans and pundits questioning the legitimacy of such a rematch:
‘I’m doing an immediate rematch for sure because, hey, the bigger thing lost there – getting these two back together, I’m sure they did a fine piece of business and I’m sure next time will be even better, right? The sequel generally does better than the original.’
UFC President Dana White has indicated that Adesanya will likely be granted a rematch against Strickland. Sonnen cautioned that if Adesanya wins the rematch, it could potentially delay the division’s progression for the next year.
