UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will attempt to win a title in the second division as he moves up in weight class to take on reigning UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz in the main event of UFC 259 this weekend.
If Israel Adesanya manages to win the UFC light heavyweight crown this weekend, he will only be the fifth UFC fighter to ever hold titles simultaneously in two weight classes. Currently, only Amanda Nunes is the one who holds titles simultaneously in two-weight classes.
Nunes is the current UFC bantamweight and featherweight champion. There’s a consensus amongst some fans and fighters alike that Israel Adesanya may hold down both the middleweight division if he wins the light heavyweight title.
However, Israel Adesanya has made it clear that he won’t leave middleweights hanging as he plans on defending his middleweight title after UFC 259.
“I’ll definitely go back down to 185,” Israel Adesanya told MMA Junkie in an interview. “I have something else in my head that might interest (me after). But definitely going back down to 185 is my goal. I want to keep my division moving.”
Israel Adesanya is going into this fight as if he were a middleweight
Israel Adesanya said that despite moving up in weight class, he isn’t going to have any issue cutting down to middleweight as he is going into this fight as if he was a middleweight.
“(I’m going in) just like any other fight, to be honest,” Israel Adesanya said. “I keep the same energy. Nothing’s really changed in my head. For the prep for this camp people ask, ‘Did you do anything different to get ready for this camp?’ All we ever do is get ready for the guy in front of us. That’s the same energy we kept for this camp.
“No weight cut and just doing what I always do. We’re keeping the same energy during fight week, as well. I think it’s silly to add more muscle for this contest when my strength had gotten me to the dance. I trust my body and I trust my skills.” (H/T – MMAJunkie.com)
How do you guys think this fight between Israel Adesanya and Jan Blachowicz will go? Let is know in the comment section below.
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