Israel Adesanya will join half a dozen of his City Kick Boxing teamates on the card at UFC 293 in Sydney. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
Adesanya: "He's Crazy, that's the X Factor."
UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya says he wants to "make it look easy" when he meets American Sean Strickland at UFC 293.
The Last Stylebender will make his 11th consecutive UFC title fight on September 10 in Sydney but acknowledges he's unlikely to go another dozen.
"You only have so much time in this game. It's about time. And I'm definitely past the halfway point of my career.
I've still got some time left but I know, I'm past the halfway point."
Speaking on the Freestylebender podcast, Adesanya said he wants to look back at his combat career with no regrets.
"This is precious time because when it's all said and done, when you're on your rocking chair in front of your property or trailer park or whatever, and looking back and be like did I take advantage of every opportunity that was given to me?"
Adesanya is a heavy favourite to defeat the fifth ranked middleweight in Strickland.
"I'm just taking this very seriously. Because a man with nothing to lose and everything to gain is a dangerous man. But I'm also not overestimating. I want to make this look easy. I'm gonna make this look easy, because of the work that we're doing right now"
He said Strickland is a dangerous prospect.
"He's got a nice guard, got a good jab. Also, lets be honest, He's crazy. He's crazy. That's, that's the X Factor. But again, so am I."
There was some delay in confirming the headline bout with reports the UFC did not have faith that Strickland could make it a contest.
Adesanya is looking for a quick night at the office in Sydney. Photo: CARMEN MANDATO
"I don't focus on the opponent. Just focus on the date, I know there was talks of rescheduling me fighting but I was like, 'this is my side of the world. I have to fight on the side of the world."'
Fans are already excited about the pair squaring off at a media conference in the wake of their war of words at the UFC 276's pre fight event.
"Just some loudmouth talking over and louder trying to seem like he's got something to say. He has nothing to say really. That's why most people are excited about the press conferences, that's his spot to shine, I guess, but, you know, I can rap too."
However, should Strickland look to engage verbally inside the octagon, Adesanya said he will regret it.
"If he's talking to me, he's gonna get his jaw broken because when you're talking you're not focused on the task at hand."
Adesanya was originally set to face Dricus Du Plessis, however, the South African hasn't fully recovered from his win over New Zealand-born Australian Robert Whittaker at UFC 290 last month.
There's plenty of bad blood between the pair, stemming from Du Plessis claiming he would be the first real African champion in the UFC, alleging the likes of Adesanya, Kamaru Usman and Francis Ngannou are not truly African fighters as they left the continent.
"I do want to fight Dricus but he's not calling the shots, I am."
The Last Stylebender said though he is confident, he is also very aware of the dangers that Strickland brings and knows one lucky shot could end his second reign as champion.
"I never underestimate anyone. I was even thinking about Rockhold versus Bisping when he (Michael Bisping) beat him on like two weeks notice, he goes in there and shocks the world, that is a possible reality. My job is to make sure it's not in this reality. That's another parallel universe, another timeline."
-RNZ