Adesanya to face Brunson in UFC New York?
Kiwi Israel Adesanya is reportedly being lined up to meet American Derek Brunson at UFC 230 in New York.
ESPN cited unnamed sources claiming the UFC was close to finalising a match-up between the two top-10 middleweights at Madison Square Garden on November 3.
The news comes after Brunson called out Adesanya in a video on social media last week, which ‘The Last Stylebender’ mocked with a well-crafted edited version of the clip.
Adesanya (14-0) has been a revelation since signing with the world’s premier mixed martial arts promotion late last year, winning three fights in just five months to shoot to ninth in the division.
The former kickboxer put the top contenders on notice earlier this month when he ruthlessly picked apart respected veteran Brad Tavares in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter finale in Las Vegas.
And according to ESPN , he is close to extending his contract with the UFC, with one fight remaining on his initial four-fight deal.
Brunson has not been in the octagon since January, when he suffered a first-round knockout to Ronaldo Souza.
But he won two fights prior to that defeat and is still ranked sixth in the division with a record of 18-6.
Adesanya-Brunson is not the only middleweight bout linked to UFC 230 with the event shaping up as a showcase of the division’s elite.
Souza, who is ranked fifth, has been booked to face the seventhranked David Branch, while a rematch between former champions Luke Rockhold and Chris Weidman is reportedly in the works.
There has also been speculation of a match-up between Cuban Yoel Romero, who lost to champion Robert Whittaker in June, and rising Brazilian star Paulo Costa.