5 UFC fighters who could dethrone Israel Adesanya

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya [Image courtesy of @espnmma on Twitter]

Israel Adesanya has emerged as one of the most dominant champions in the UFC. The enigmatic Kiwi has blossomed into one of the most entertaining fighters in the world. His performances atop the middleweight division are adding to the aura of invincibility that surrounds him.

Adesanya has already handily beaten most of the top contenders at 185 lbs including Robert Whittaker (twice), Paulo Costa, Marvin Vettori (twice), Derek Brunson and Kelvin Gastelum. At just 32, 'The Last Stylebender' still has a lot of fights left in him and is en route to joining the pantheon of MMA greats.

Let's play matchmaker. 📝

Who gets the next shot at Adesanya's middleweight crown? #UFCVegas24 https://t.co/SZjTQIPnu0

In a sport like MMA, dominant champions often see their reign cut short by a challenger. Anderson Silva's loss to Chris Weidman, Demetrious Johnson's defeat to Henry Cejudo and Amanda Nunes' setback against Julianna Pena saw seemingly unbeatable fighters shockingly lose their belts.

That said, here are five UFC fighters who could potentially dethrone Israel Adesanya.

#5. Darren Till - Elite striker just like Israel Adesanya

Israel Adesanya and Darren Till have mutual respect for one another. The reigning middleweight champion has reiterated his desire to fight the Brit on numerous occasions and has even claimed he hopes to take on 'The Gorilla' in London.

🇳🇬 Izzy 𝕍 Darren 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Israel Adesanya wants to fight Darren Till in the UK!

Big interview with @stylebender dropping soon 🔥 https://t.co/yNzx7k4w0E

Till is currently ranked No.8 in the middleweight division and has struggled to stay consistent at 185 lbs. Since moving up from welterweight, the Englishman has gone 1-2 in his new weight class and is coming off back-to-back defeats to Robert Whittaker and Derek Brunson.

However, there are some important points to note while discussing Till's struggles at middleweight. The fight against Whittaker was a razor-thin affair and the judges were likely swayed by a last-ditch takedown by 'The Reaper' in the fifth round. Additionally, it was well-documented that the former welterweight title challenger was injured going into his fight against Brunson.

At just 29, Till is just now entering the prime of his career. On his day, he is one of the most lethal strikers on the UFC roster. His background in Muay Thai matches up very nicely against Israel Adesanya's kickboxing roots. A fight between the middleweight duo would undoubtedly produce fireworks.

The primary reason for Adesanya's dominance atop the 185 lbs weight class is that the Kiwi is levels above every other fighter in the striking realm. Till is perhaps the only top-ranked fighter who can stand toe to toe with 'The Last Stylebender' in the stand-up exchanges.

The middleweight champ is complimentary of Darren Till and hasn't closed the door on a future fight 🚪

(via @stylebender) https://t.co/N7gRre9pZH

Darren Till will have to put together a meaningful string of victories if he is to contest for the title and take on Israel Adesanya. Considering the fact that the champion has already beaten most of the contenders in the division, Till is likely just two wins away from a shot at UFC gold.

Watch a compilation of Darren Till's performances in the UFC below: