"I am the guy" - Uriah Hall is confident in his ability to beat Israel Adesanya
No.8-ranked UFC middleweight Uriah Hall is all set to make his second appearance inside the octagon in 2021 against No.11-ranked Sean Strickland. Both fighters are on incredible four-fight win-streaks, and the result of their fight at UFC Fight Night: Hall vs. Strickland could bring the winner closer to a title shot.
The MMA universe has already announced Uriah Hall vs. Israel Adesanya as a dream matchup. No one in the division has matched Adesanya's unique striking ability and impeccable fight IQ. However, fans believe that Uriah Hall could be the one to give 'The Last Stylebender' a run for his money.
In a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Uriah Hall was asked whether Israel Adesanya is aware of the challenge he poses. Hall interjected and said:
"He knows, he knows. Oh, f**k yeah, he knows! We met, what, few years ago ... I looked at him like, 'You know, I'd love to fight you, man', and it wasn't like, 'Yo, I'mma f**k you up', it was more like, 'Man, I'd love to fight you because I respect your style.' You know, I got nothing bad to say about him. Everybody got their own sh*t, man. But, I am the guy. I am the guy to place in that puzzle. That's me."
Hall also stated that the very idea of a fight against Israel Adesanya presents him with a challenge, and challenges are his driving force. He said:
"I get bored easily, you know. If I'm not excited about something, if there's not a challenge for me to get better or a challenge in general; because I'm very competitive; I check out, because I'm like, 'I don't wanna do this.' That's why [when] I'm looking at Izzy [Israel Adesanya], I'm like, 'Yo, this guy is good. I want to fight him', because I love challenges. So, psychologically, when there's not a challenge, I'm like, 'Alright, whatever."
Uriah Hall sends a message to Israel Adesanya
Over the course of the conversation, Uriah Hall was asked how long he felt it would take him to fight Israel Adesanya for the title. In response, Hall jokingly said that Adesanya might be waiting for him to get older and slower, but he only gets younger, stronger, and faster.
Thereafter, he sent the following message to Israel Adesanya:
"I would say that, 'congratulations on your success. I'm excited that you came into the division because I've been waiting for someone to ignite that spark that didn't have a flame. I respect you, and I can't wait to get the opportunity to go up against one of the best.' That's it."
Watch the full interview below:
Do you think we will see a matchup between Uriah Hall and Israel Adesanya in the near future? If so, who wins the fight? Tell us in the comments!