"I know exactly what happened in that fight" - Israel Adesanya lays out future fight plans, expresses desire to redeem Sean Strickland title loss 

Former middleweight king Israel Adesanya is plotting his return to the octagon after a self-imposed hiatus, and his sights are set on redemption and reclaiming the gold.

In a recent interaction with Theo Von, the two-time former champion revealed his desire to reclaim the belt currently held by Dricus du Plessis. He also expressed his determination to avenge his loss to Sean Strickland, acknowledging his focus is on du Plessis first:

"With Strickland, it won't take me that long. Let first get through DDP first... I just know that Strickland fight will come back around. I'm in a good place now health-wise, mentally, and I know exactly what happened in that fight that just wasn't for me."

The Nigerian-born Kiwi fighter reigned supreme in the middleweight division for years, securing seven title defenses before facing his first loss at the hands of Alex Pereira. He bounced back with a win in their rematch before experiencing another setback, losing his title to Strickland in an upset at UFC 293.

Despite the loss, Adesanya acknowledged Strickland's fighting acumen and said:

"He [Strickland] is a great fighter. He is also a good champion. What a reign, I mean, he did what he did... the way he beat me was spectacular, it was his moment."

Check out Israel Adesanya's comments in the clip below:

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Israel Adesanya claims Dricus du Plessis declined UFC 300 title fight

In the same conversation with Theo Von, Israel Adesanya revealed that Dricus du Plessis declined a title fight offer for the upcoming UFC 300 pay-per-view.

Adesanya stated he readily accepted the proposed title fight against du Plessis for the prestigious UFC 300 event. However, the South African declined the offer:

"They summoned me for [UFC] 300 and I was like, 'Yep, let's roll.'But their side didn't want it... But, they just fought [Sean] Strickland, so maybe he had a little bit niggly injuries and stuff but we all got niggles and what not... I've fought injured for the last how many fights? That's why I took time off. Just to let my body heal and it has healed."

Check out Israel Adesanya's comments on the matter below: