SUMMARY
- Israel Adesanya has teased a comeback at UFC 300 in April 2024.
- For the perfect comeback fight, he might have to move up a division and contest for the title.
Israel Adesanya could well be making a return to the Octagon in April at UFC 300. The former UFC Middleweight Champion has teased a comeback through his Instagram Story.
Following his three-year reign as champion, Adesanya lost his title to long-time rival Alex Pereira at UFC 281. Pereira gained a 3-0 advantage over Izzy as the Brazilian had defeated him twice already during their GLORY Kickboxing days. Adesanya, however, did not let Pereira earn a fourth win.
In the UFC Middleweight Championship rematch, Adesanya knocked out Pereira at UFC 287. The Nigerian-Kiwi fighter went on to face Sean Strickland next at UFC 293. Adesanya was supposed to be the favorite going into the fight. However, Strickland came all guns blazing to win the fight via unanimous decision at UFC 293.
After facing defeat against the American, Adesanya claimed he would not fight until 2027. Not many believed the Kiwi and they were proven correct as he later denounced that claim.
🚨| Israel Adesanya seemingly hinting a return at UFC 300 on April 13th. 😳
[@stylebender IG]#MMA #UFC pic.twitter.com/fOVfszCDOM
— MMA Frenzy (@mma_frenzy) February 1, 2024
UFC CEO Dana White has announced 11 fights for UFC 300, there is still space for the main event. Adesanya is one of the top contenders to fill that spot. His latest Instagram Story also hints at something of the sort. He uploaded a poster of the movie 300 and wrote, “The Gods must be crazy.”
If Adesanya is booked for the UFC 300 main event, who could he face? Well, one strong title fight could pull up for him.
Israel Adesanya could face Alex Pereira for the light heavyweight title at UFC 300
UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus du Plessis and UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira have both called out Adesanya for a title defense.
At UFC 297, when Du Plessis earned his title via split decision, he called out Adesanya and Pereira. The Nigerian-born fighter and the South African fighter have had their fair share of troubles involving their roots. The “Real African” debate between the two was one of the most talked about topics last year.
Dricus Du Plessis calls out Israel Adesanya after beating Sean Strickland pic.twitter.com/4UurylJWhL
— Best MMA Moments (@XcellentMMA) January 21, 2024
Moreover, Chael Sonnen has also claimed that Adesanya and Du Plessis have been approached for the UFC 300 main event. Sonnen could not confirm their acceptance or rejection.
However, Pereira’s Adesanya call-out also received fanfare. After winning his second UFC title, ‘Poatan’ gave a long speech in his native language about how Adesanya helped him come out of a dark place. Now, he wanted to help the Kiwi. Pereira ended his speech in English, saying, “Adesanya, come to daddy!”
“Hey, Adesanya. Come to Daddy!” – Alex Pereira calls out Izzy. pic.twitter.com/6eF2RVqDX6
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) November 12, 2023
A fifth fight overall and a third UFC fight against Pereira is enticing. He seems to be the perfect choice for Adesanya’s comeback. It is believed that Dana White will announce the UFC 300 main event this week. Let us know in the comments if you think Adesanya will headline the milestone PPV.