Israel Adesanya questions Sean Strickland’s current mental state 2 years after UFC title fight

Israel Adesanya believes Sean Strickland might be going through some things at the moment.

Adesanya and Strickland are no strangers to one another inside the Octagon. The two collided back in Sept. 2023. Adesanya was the UFC Middleweight Champion going into the bout and he was a huge betting favorite. Strickland ended up getting the better of “Izzy” for five rounds to pull off the upset unanimous decision victory to become the 185-pound titleholder.

Since that fight, Adesanya has gone 0-2, while Strickland has lost two of his last three bouts.

RELATED: ISRAEL ADESANYA CAN’T STAND ONE RANKED UFC WELTERWEIGHT: ‘I HATE HIM, BRO’

Adesanya Thinks Strickland is Going Through Some Things

During a chat with reporters on the red carpet of the 2025 UFC Hall of Fame ceremony, Israel Adesanya explained why he thinks Sean Strickland might not be in the best mental state currently (h/t MMAFighting).

“I think he’s going through something,” Adesanya said when asked about facing Strickland in the fall. “I haven’t really seen anything, but someone sent me a screenshot, like, ‘Oh, he’s fat now.’ I saw it and I was like, oh sh*t.

“Sean’s a guy who definitely has a lot of old school stuff, trauma he has to deal with. We all go through sh*t. But for him, that’s easy. He should have just said something and start roasting me or whatever. That’s a Sean Strickland thing to do, but he’s been quiet.”

Robert Whittaker had been calling for a showdown with Strickland, but he ended up accepting a bout with Reinier de Ridder, which is scheduled for July 26. At the moment, neither Adesanya nor Strickland have a fight booked. Whether or not the UFC brass wishes to renew the rivalry between the two remains to be seen.

BJPenn.com will keep you posted with the latest news on Adesanya and Strickland.