Aljamain Sterling, the former UFC bantamweight champion, recently made a compelling argument for himself regarding the possibility of Israel Adesanya getting a rematch against Sean Strickland. Sterling defended his bantamweight title three times before losing to Sean O’Malley.
Similarly, Israel Adesanya suffered a surprising loss to Sean Strickland at UFC 293. Notably, Strickland stepped in to fight at UFC 293 as a replacement after Dricus Du Plessis withdrew due to injury.
Aljamain Sterling wants his rematch with Sean O’Malley
Sterling is now pushing for a rematch against O’Malley for the bantamweight title following his loss to “Suga” at UFC 292. However, neither the UFC nor O’Malley appears to have acknowledged Sterling’s requests. ” The Funk Master” continues to advocate for his cause following UFC 293.
Sterling’s argument is that if other former UFC champions, like Israel Adesanya, are granted immediate title rematches when they lose, he should also be given the same chance. He believes he was the longest-reigning bantamweight champion in terms of title defenses and he deserves an immediate rematch.
Sterling’s argument revolves around the concept of fairness and equal treatment for champions in the UFC. He believes that if fighters like Israel Adesanya who is 4-3 in his last 7 are given immediate rematch opportunities, he should be treated similarly.
Aljamain Sterling talks on Israel Adesanya vs Sean Strickland rematch
Sterling believes that The Last Stylebender getting a rematch and he’s not getting one is unfair. Adesanya already got an immediate rematch when he lost the middleweight title to Alex Periera at UFC 281 which he won back at UFC 287.
Izzy was defeated by Tarzan in a masterclass performance at UFC 293. Though Adesanya was close to home, it was Strickland who enjoyed the crowd support in Sydney, Australia. The victory for Strickland resulted in some MMA fans wanting an immediate rematch. Dana has already shown interest in arranging an immediate rematch for Adesanya but has been hesitant to offer Sterling the same opportunity.
The former bantamweight champion is critical of this unequal treatment. Adesanya’s popularity in the global MMA scene is a driving force behind White’s push for a rematch. In the bantamweight division, O’Malley is viewed by many UFC fans as a global phenomenon, and having him as a champion is considered more beneficial for the promotion than Sterling.
What do you think of either Adesanya or Sterling getting a rematch? Comment below!
