UFC Middleweights Take Jab At Israel Adesanya Ahead Of Jan Blachowicz Title Fight

UFC middleweight rivals Jack Hermansson and Marvin Vettori are both confident they can dethrone reigning champ Israel Adesanya.

After remaining undefeated in the middleweight, Adesanya is now hoping to become a “champ-champ” by moving up to light heavyweight to face Jan Blachowicz. UFC president Dana White previously confirmed that Blachowicz vs. Adesanya will happen after middleweight contender Robert Whittaker turned down a well-deserved title shot.

Unlike Whittaker, other middleweight contenders such as Hermansson and Vettori are eager to get a crack at Adesanya. The two are set to clash on UFC Fight Night, with the winner likely to take a step closer to a title shot.

Heading into the fight, Vettori insisted that regardless of what happens in Blachowicz vs. Adesanya, he will still take out “The Last Stylebender.”

“I don’t even know if [Blachowicz vs. Adesanya] will happen because I think Glover [Teixeira] deserves and should get the title shot,” Vettori exclusively told BJPenn.com in a recent interview. “To be honest, I think Jan Blachowicz will clean the mat with Israel Adesanya, especially if he fights the way he did against Dominick Reyes. He is so powerful, that legendary Polish power.”

“Blachowicz is up and down sometimes but I think he beats Adesanya,” the Italian fighter continued. “I’m not worried because Adesanya won’t be at light heavyweight for very long. Even if he wins I’ll get the middleweight title shot and if he wants to get it back, he will have to fight me. I’m just focused on my journey and my own fight.”

Hermansson, on the other hand, has no problem with Adesanya moving up weight classes. For “The Joker,” it is much better if the current middleweight champ prolongs his undefeated record because he wants to be one to put an end to it.

“I really hope he wins that fight because I want to beat Adesanya when he is undefeated and it would be cooler to beat the double champ,” Hermansson said on BJPenn.com's "Just Scrap Radio.” “As long as he wins, I am okay with it.”

“I really believe he [Adesanya] will go back down after Blachowicz,” he predicted. “He might fight Jon Jones one day but I don’t think he is super eager to go up there,” Hermansson said. “I can see him thinking Jan is an easier fight than Jones and can go up and get the belt, do a couple of middleweight fights then go up and fight Jones.”