Strickland Calls Adesanya Overrated
Sean Strickland’s August 2024 criticism of Israel Adesanya followed Adesanya’s loss to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 305. Strickland argued that Adesanya was overrated and cited the close 2019 fight with Kelvin Gastelum. Since then, Adesanya has also lost to Nassourdine Imavov and Joe Pyfer, while Strickland later returned to the title picture with a 2026 win over Khamzat Chimaev.
The comment that sparked the debate
Strickland made the remarks after Adesanya was submitted by du Plessis in the fourth round at UFC 305. He pointed to Adesanya’s competitive five-round bout with Gastelum at UFC 236 and said the result did not convince him that Adesanya was an elite fighter. MMA Fighting’s report captured Strickland’s criticism. It was his opinion about a rival, not an objective measure of Adesanya’s career; Adesanya won the Gastelum fight by unanimous decision.
Their rivalry and later results
Strickland beat Adesanya by unanimous decision at UFC 293 in 2023 to win the middleweight title, then lost the belt to du Plessis in January 2024. Du Plessis went on to submit Adesanya at UFC 305. Adesanya later suffered a second-round knockout loss to Imavov and a later defeat to Pyfer, making four consecutive losses along with his defeats to Strickland and du Plessis.
Strickland’s more recent career also changed: the UFC’s UFC 328 scorecards record his split-decision win over Chimaev on May 9, 2026. That later result adds context to the two former champions’ paths, but it does not settle the debate over Adesanya’s legacy or turn Strickland’s assessment into fact.
Sources
Tags: MMA
