Armen Petrosyan says he's ready for Israel Adesanya after securing contract on DWCS
Armen Petrosyan has called out Israel Adesanya following his victory on DWCS (Dana White's Contender Series). The Armenian earned his UFC contract after a stunning first-round TKO win over Kaloyan Kolev.
Petrosyan called out the UFC middleweight champion in the immediate aftermath of his triumph. Via a translator, Petrosyan conveyed that he'll be ready to take on Israel Adesanya after a period of rest.
Petrosyan's translator told the media at the DWCS post-fight press conference:
"Now he's a little tight and he wants a little bit rest. And feel this is winning smell you know. But I can say it from me, our man ready for fight against everybody. His wrestling good, his wrestling defense good and here he want to beat Adesanya. And he ready for beat Adesanya. Russian Muay Thai want this fight."
Watch Armen Petrosyan's post-fight interview below:
Armen Petrosyan's Apex showing was impressive. He made quick work of fellow light heavyweight Kolev. Petrosyan rocked the Bulgarian with a flurry of punches before putting him to sleep with a left head kick. The finish came just 33 seconds before the end of the opening round.
WHAT IN THE WORLD 🤯
Petrosyan w/ the IMPRESSIVE finish!
[ #DWCS live on #ESPNPlus ] https://t.co/TS0lOQdDJe
Armen Petrosyan received his UFC contract along with Caio Borralho, Jonny Parsons and Piera Rodriguez. The 34-year-old currently holds a perfect 6-0 professional record, with all six wins coming via stoppages.
When is Israel Adesanya's next title defense
Israel Adesanya is expected to face Robert Whittaker in a rematch for his next 185-pound title defense. While the matchup was originally scheduled to take place at UFC 268 in November, it was delayed until 2022 due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions.
Whittaker's manager Titus Day was the first to break the news. Speaking of the rematch between Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker, Day told The Daily Telegraph:
"Rob had been told he would be fighting at Madison Square Garden. But there have been some issues since and it can’t happen. Apparently, Adesanya could get into America for the fight, but he wouldn’t have been able to get back to NZ immediately afterwards [because of quarantine restrictions]. So while we know the fight is going to happen, it’s now become a matter of when. Unfortunately, given everything going on with Covid in Australia and New Zealand at the moment, it may not be until early next year."
With Francis Ngannou's unification bout with Ciryl Gane set to headline next year's opening pay-per-view, Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2 is being targeted for UFC 271 in February.