Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has been advised to be cautious of the challenge posed by welterweight titleholder Leon Edwards. As Adesanya prepares for his upcoming bout against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305 in Perth, there’s speculation about Edwards’ potential move to the middleweight division.
Since his headline-making head kick knockout of Kamaru Usman, Edwards has successfully defended his welterweight title twice and is gearing up for a rematch with Belal Muhammad on July 27 in Manchester. Edwards has expressed ambitions to surpass Georges St-Pierre’s records in the 170-pound division, but he’s also contemplating a future move to middleweight.
Dave Lovell, Edwards’ head coach, recently spoke to Submission Radio about the evolving middleweight landscape and the possibility of Edwards challenging for a second title. Lovell suggested that Adesanya might be nearing the end of his career, stating:
“I don’t think Israel (Adesanya) because, in all fairness, I love him and Israel is my brother, but I think he’s coming to the twilight of his career now. If I were him, if he fights Dricus, maybe win the title, defend it once, or even just win that title and retire because he’s earned enough, he’s got nothing more to prove. I wouldn’t like to see Leon fight Israel because we’re all close that way; we’re all friends, so I wouldn’t like to see that.”
Despite the friendship between Adesanya and Edwards making a potential matchup unlikely, Lovell’s comments highlight the dynamic nature of the middleweight division. Should Edwards move up, he could face contenders like Du Plessis or former champion Sean Strickland.
As Adesanya readies himself for his title challenge against Du Plessis, reports indicate that he has significantly bulked up. Teammate Dan Hooker from City Kickboxing revealed that Adesanya has added considerable muscle mass, noting, “Israel is I can’t even bother sparring him at the moment. Like the way he’s hitting me, I think he’s like 105 kilos. He’s had some time off. He was carrying some injuries. He spent a lot of time just packing on some size and, like, a lot of strength, bro. And he’s just hitting like a truckman.”
With Adesanya aiming to become the division’s first three-time champion, the potential rise of fighters like Edwards adds an intriguing element to the middleweight title scene.
