Israel Adesanya was one of the breakout stars of 2019, and it appears the UFC middleweight champion has an opponent lined up for his first title defense.
“The Last Stylebender” was initially expected to face Paulo Henrique Costa after claiming the 185-pound belt with a second-round knockout of Robert Whittaker at UFC 243 this past October. However, those plans changed when Costa suffered a torn bicep that will sideline him through the first quarter of next year.
Adesanya quickly transitioned to a potential showdown with Yoel Romero, but UFC president Dana White previously had designs on making “The Soldier of God” win another bout before earning No.