Israel Adesanya Reflects on Khamzat Chimaev’s Domination of Robert Whittaker and His Next Steps

Israel Adesanya

Israel Adesanya, a former UFC middleweight champion, is set to make his octagon return against Nassourdine Imavov in February, but his attention has been caught by Khamzat Chimaev. Chimaev’s stunning performance at UFC 308, where he quickly dismantled Robert Whittaker with a face crank that reportedly broke Whittaker’s teeth, has left Adesanya impressed and intrigued.

“I was surprised at the way Khamzat ran through Rob,” Adesanya admitted on his YouTube channel. “That was crazy. That was like wow. That made me want to fight him. I was like OK, shit, this guy’s actually really, really good.”

Chimaev’s victory not only cemented his position as the No. 1 contender in the middleweight division but also positioned him as a potential future opponent for Adesanya. Despite this, the UFC has decided to book a rematch between reigning champion Dricus du Plessis and Sean Strickland for the February pay-per-view event in Australia.

Adesanya, who recently suffered back-to-back losses to du Plessis and Strickland, understands the UFC’s decision.

“I knew they were going to go with this fight because I knew it was coming,” he said. “They already organized it, so I wasn’t like, ‘What?’”

The fight against Imavov marks Adesanya’s first non-title bout since 2019 and his first appearance outside a pay-per-view event since 2018. Despite the change, Adesanya remains unfazed.

“I still get paid,” he said. “There’s still a referee. There’s two of us in there. There’s still a crowd. So it’s not in the f*cking APEX or something. It doesn’t feel any different.”

As one of the UFC’s most celebrated fighters, Adesanya is using this new chapter in his career as an opportunity to refine his skills and aim for personal milestones. He’s even set his sights on securing his first submission victory in the octagon.

“I’ve achieved my dreams in this game,” Adesanya said. “I still have some more dreams to achieve. I’m gonna definitely get a submission. That’s definitely a big one. I don’t even care about the belt. I want to get someone’s f*cking ankle or neck.”