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UFC mailbag: The place does Israel Adesanya go from right here? Plus some early UFC 312 speak

UFC Saudi Arabia is in the books, and now, it’s on to UFC 312 . This past Saturday, Nassourdine Imavov scored the biggest win of his career when he knocked out former two-time champion Israel Adesanya in the second round of their main event matchup. Imavov seems poised to fight for the 185 belt sooner

UFC mailbag: The place does Israel Adesanya go from right here? Plus some early UFC 312 speak

UFC Saudi Arabia is within the books, and now, it’s on to UFC 312.

This previous Saturday, Nassourdine Imavov scored the most important win of his profession when he knocked out former two-time champion Israel Adesanya within the second spherical of their principal occasion matchup. Imavov appears poised to battle for the 185 belt sooner reasonably than later and so the large query is what’s going to turn into of “The Final Stylebender?” Let’s reply that and extra from this week’s mailbag.


“What’s the subsequent finest transfer for Izzy, and (relatedly) do fighters threat damaging their legacy by remaining energetic previous their prime?”

Heading into UFC Saudi Arabia my greatest query was how a lot does Adesanya have left within the tank, and I believe we acquired the reply fairly definitively. Adesanya is an all-time nice, however he’s 35, been competing for 15 years, and has 115 skilled fights. That’s an unbelievable quantity of mileage, and it’s displaying. Adesanya’s reflexes aren’t as quick as they as soon as have been so he’s getting hit extra typically, and he can’t take injury the identical means. There’s a cause he’s been dropped or harm in his previous 5 fights: Izzy is ageing out.

So with that in thoughts, I personally imagine the perfect transfer could be for him to both retire or arrange a retirement battle. One thing he one hundred pc ought to win so he can exit on a excessive notice earlier than he waits round for his Corridor of Fame jacket. Nevertheless, I doubt that occurs. And assuming it doesn’t, I believe the appropriate transfer for Adesanya is an enormous step again in competitors. Adesanya can nonetheless win fights, however he’s unlikely to beat up-and-comers or Prime 10 opposition. So if I have been in Izzy’s nook, I’d be focusing on the legends type of fights towards different declining warriors with massive names. However extra on that in just a few.

So far as damaging his legacy, the reply is each sure and no. Within the case of Adesanya, what he’s achieved can by no means be taken away from him. He’s the second-greatest middleweight ever and a Prime 20 all-time fighter. No quantity of dropping will change that, solely different fighters surpassing him. However that’s solely the case for longstanding, hardcore followers. The reality of the matter is that newer followers not often decide fighters based mostly on their peaks however on the totality of the profession. That’s why fighters like Anderson Silva and B.J. Penn and Fedor Emelianenko are routinely disregarded of GOAT conversations, as a result of they hung round lengthy sufficient to lose quite a bit, and dropping dulls the mystique.

So for individuals who know, Adesanya sticking round gained’t matter, however for individuals who don’t, it most likely will.


Michael ‘Venom’ Web page

Do you suppose MVP may sneak right into a title shot at WW or MW with yet one more win? With the appropriate matchmaking, particularly at MW, I believe he may stifle one other striker within the prime ten and use his restricted star energy to place his title into the dialog.

— Nicholas Bennett (@Nichola86732970) February 3, 2025

“Do you suppose MVP may sneak right into a title shot at WW or MW with yet one more win? With the appropriate matchmaking, particularly at MW, I believe he may stifle one other striker within the prime ten and use his restricted star energy to place his title into the dialog.”

Within the co-main occasion on Saturday, “MVP” pulled off a small upset and acquired himself into the middleweight rankings by doing basic MVP stuff to Shara Bullet. It was a classic efficiency and one worthy of celebrating, however let’s not get out over our skis. This win didn’t make MVP a title risk at both weight class. It was only a good win over a succesful opponent who had no actual solutions to the confounding model of Web page.

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The difficulty for MVP is that he’s not remotely close to a title battle, a lot much less one win away. At middleweight, there’s at present a backlog of contenders, that means Web page would want just a few wins, and that’s exceedingly unlikely, and at welterweight, similar story. Web page isn’t going to battle for a UFC title and that’s high-quality. MMA isn’t a sport the place it’s title or bust. You possibly can have a protracted, productive, and memorable profession by simply being good at preventing and making individuals care about you, and Web page is nice at that.


Matchmaking

How briskly will Dana try to e-book MVP vs Adesanya and would Izzy even settle for it?

— Florida Man Chael (@FLManChael) February 3, 2025

“How briskly will Dana try to e-book MVP vs Adesanya and would Izzy even settle for it?”

My guess is Dana White doesn’t attempt to e-book this, however actually, that is precisely the battle Adesanya must be attempting to get. Web page is an enormous title, a battle between the 2 of them would draw a ton of curiosity, and Adesanya would have a extremely good likelihood to win this. Web page’s sport is fairly set at this level of on the lookout for just a few explosive pictures, and whereas Adesanya has fallen off, he can merely set a brilliant lengthy vary, chew up Web page’s leg with low kicks, and win. This must be a reasonably good model matchup for Adesanya so if I’m Izzy, and I wish to maintain going, that is the one to name for.


Heavyweight

How most of the present UFC Heavyweight Prime 10 may Tom Aspinall defeat without delay?

— Lil Uzi Kluivert (@stricklandspf) February 3, 2025

“How most of the present UFC Heavyweight Prime 10 may Tom Aspinall defeat without delay?”

Within the function bout, Sergei Pavlovich gained a dreadfully boring determination over prime 10 heavyweight Jairzinho Rozenstruik, who the UFC then launched. This weight class is a wasteland.

As a result of it’s heavyweight, Aspinall couldn’t beat up even two of the Prime 10 without delay, it’s simply too onerous. But when he’s doing a king of the hill type of factor the place it’s one by one, there’s a professional likelihood Aspinall may clear all the heavyweight Prime 15 in a single night time.


Zhang Weili vs. Tatiana Suarez

Zhang vs Suarez, must be a great battle, nonetheless, neither fighter is sort of energetic sufficient. I perceive Suarez with Accidents, I suppose, however Zhang fights annually. Both means how do you see the way forward for the div. Taking part in out submit 312?@MikeHeck_JR

— UrMomsMMA (@JodyJoe421) February 3, 2025

“Zhang vs Suarez, must be a great battle, nonetheless, neither fighter is sort of energetic sufficient. I perceive Suarez with Accidents, I suppose, however Zhang fights annually. Both means how do you see the way forward for the division enjoying out submit 312?”

There’s a case to be made that Zhang’s lack of exercise is an efficient factor as a result of the highest 15 at strawweight is principally the identical individuals it was 5 years in the past, which suggests if she was energetic we’d be firmly within the “that is all boring rematches” zone that girls’s bantamweight finds itself in. As an alternative, Zhang’s rare title defenses are at the least coming towards new names, which brings some freshness to the state of affairs.

That being mentioned, I’m nonetheless getting involved in regards to the lack of development of girls’s MMA within the UFC. It was at all times going to be a tall order to search out one other Ronda Rousey however I’m not even certain the UFC has one other Joanna Jedrzejczyk, when it comes to star energy. Valentina Shevchenko doesn’t have for much longer, and Zhang is revered however by no means actually broke out in the US. Each strawweight and bantamweight are floundering for brand spanking new expertise. I don’t know find out how to repair it, however issues usually are not the perfect for 115.

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The lesser Topuria

Jed… do you’re feeling the UFC will put Topuria vs. Thicknesse on the principle card as a result of it is now turn into the third most fascinating battle on the slate?

— Mike Heck (@MikeHeck_JR) February 3, 2025

“Jed… do you’re feeling the UFC will put Topuria vs. Thicknesse on the principle card as a result of it’s now turn into the third most fascinating battle on the slate?”

Aleksandre Topuria, brother of featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, makes his UFC debut on Saturday towards Colby Thicknesse. He was purported to face Cody Haddon however a late-notice change left him with significantly cooler, if much less well-known title (I’m talking completely in regards to the precise title, not the fighter — Colby Thickness is a good title).

Anyway, the UFC 100 % ought to transfer this battle to the principle card as a result of, exterior of the 2 title fights, UFC 312 is among the worst playing cards the promotion has put collectively in years, with no massive names and few compelling matchups. Topuria is at the least associated to any individual nice and that actually makes this one of many higher bouts of the weekend.


Royal Rumble

Which UFC fighter would you could have booked to make an look within the Royal Rumble?

— Taylor (@2845828472a) February 3, 2025

“Which UFC fighter would you could have booked to make an look within the Royal Rumble?”

I’ll preface this by saying that I don’t watch skilled wrestling. I briefly loved it (or the concept of it) once I was a toddler however I by no means adopted it even passingly till I began working in MMA. The 2 are so intertwined it’s not possible to not have realized some issues however I’m nonetheless woefully unschooled on principally something about WWE.

That being mentioned, I did watch the Royal Rumble this 12 months (I used to be working, and if an MMA fighter confirmed I wanted to have the ability to write about it) and I had three main ideas:

  1. I undoubtedly thought John Cena was going to win, as a result of I had no concept who Jey Uso was, so after they swerved I believed that was neat
  2. I do know that is scripted however iShowSpeed might have actually got hurt in there. Yeesh.
  3. Professional wrestling isn’t for me however this can be a enjoyable idea

It’s not possible to do something like that in MMA (although god love Dogfight Wild Tournament, they tried) but when somebody ever has the nice sense to rent me as head of artistic for his or her battle promotion, I promise to attempt. The countdown factor is thrilling and enjoyable.

Anyway, based mostly on my restricted understanding of professional wrestling it seems you should be jacked, athletic, and have charisma, so my alternative could be Dricus du Plessis. The person virtually looks like a professional wrestler already, and NO ONE would’ve seen it coming what with him defending his title in Australia on Saturday.

Swerve of the century.


Thanks for studying and because of everybody who despatched in tweets (Xs?)! Do you could have any burning questions on issues at the least considerably associated to fight sports activities? You then’re in luck as a result of you may ship your tweets to me, @JedKMeshew, and I’ll reply my favourite ones! It doesn’t matter in the event that they’re topical or insane, simply as long as they’re good. Thanks once more, and see y’all subsequent week.

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