Nigerian ‘Stylebender’ Israel Adesanya [24-3-0] is set to make his comeback and face UFC reigning middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis[ 21-2-0]at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia.
The fighter took a nine-month hiatus after he lost his belt to Sean Strickland at UFC293 this past September, his second loss in his last three fights. However, it seems the fighter spent the break resting and preparing himself for his comeback. Although nothing official has been announced yet, Adesanya seems pretty excited about his comeback into the octagon.
“How excited am I to get back in the octagon? I’m excited, I’m excited,” He said in his latest YouTube video on the FREESTYLEBENDER channel. “ It’s been a year, almost a year, like 11 months by the time I get back in the octagon. But um. People are always saying things like, ‘Oh, I hope you get the belt back, I hope you get the belt back.’ Like, I have belts. I don’t need more belts. I’m coming for heads. That’s what I wanna do.
“There’s just a few, that I have to touch, to take. I’m excited to come back, but everything comes at its own time. So right now, it’s just time for training and chilling, working, relaxing, healing. And then when it’s time. Time for killing.”
Adesanya feels confident about his next matchup, following his impressive record. The ‘Stylebender’ first lost his title to multi-time opponent Alex Pereira at UFC 281 in 2022. He soon got his revenge five months later after knocking his opponent out. However, his comeback will be up against a formidable opponent. Dricus Du Plessis has won his last nine fights and also captured middleweight gold at UFC 297 after defeating Sean Strickland.
While no concrete plans have been announced, Adesanya’s longstanding feud with opponent Strickland could potentially lead to a rematch, adding an extra layer of excitement to his return.
