Adesanya moves on from Strickland rematch, ready to fight anyone

Israel Adesanya said he has moved on from the idea of a rematch with Sean Strickland and is focused on securing his next fight, telling Submission Radio on Friday that he is "staying ready for any and everyone." The former two-time UFC middleweight champion, who last competed in February, said he will not wait indefinitely for Strickland and is prepared to face other opponents as he looks to return to winning form.

Adesanya, 36, has lost three straight fights since reclaiming the middleweight title with a knockout of Alex Pereira in April 2023. He was defeated by Strickland by unanimous decision at UFC 293 in September 2023, then lost the title via submission to Dricus du Plessis in Perth and suffered a knockout loss to Nassourdine Imavov in Saudi Arabia this past February. Those results have left the Nigerian-born New Zealander without a victory inside the Octagon since April 2023.

Asked about the lack of response from Strickland, Adesanya said he was not surprised and referenced lessons from their first meeting. "If you want to get something done right, do it right the first time. That's the lesson I learned," he said. "He's doing other things in his own life. He's made the...