Israel Adesanya. Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports

Chael Sonnen: Israel Adesanya is the UFC’s middleweight GOAT

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated Apr 11, 2023 1:09 PM ET

Israel Adesanya has beaten seven of the top 11 fighters in the UFC’s middleweight rankings, including multiple wins over two of them.

The 33-year-old New Zealander became the first two-time middleweight champion in UFC history with his second-round knockout win over Alex Pereira at UFC 287 in Miami — a performance that Former middleweight contender Chael Sonnen said cemented Adesanya as the greatest middleweight in UFC history.

“Yes, I believe that he is (the greatest middleweight of all time),” Sonnen said during an appearance on the “MMA Hour.”

Adesanya, who’s 13-2 in the UFC, avenged his UFC 281 TKO loss to Pereira — the only fighter to knock him out, which he did both in the UFC and in kickboxing.

Slow motion shot of the Israel Adesanya's KO over Alex Pereira at UFC 287 pic.twitter.com/j6n4aGVmKr
— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) April 10, 2023

Adesanya not only tied Anderson Silva, who many considered the greatest middleweight in UFC history, for the most knockouts in the history of the division (13), but he also boasts a head-to-head win over Silva in February of 2019.

“[Adesanya and Silva] fought, so that’s where it’s a hard time for me,” Sonnen added. “When two guys fight and you argue that the guy that lost is better, and get smart with it and go, ‘Well, it wasn’t in their prime,’ it’s just weird. There’s a respect you have to pay the opponent or what’s the point of (fighting)? It’s one of those spots where the head-to-head matchup has to matter, and Adesanya won.”

Though Adesanya has already beaten the top five fighters in the 185-pound division, a bout with No. 6-ranked Dricus Du Plessis seems to be next for the current champion. A win over the 19-2 South African would leave just three fighters in the top 11 of the middleweight division that Adesanya has yet to beat.

Michael Gallagher

Michael Gallagher is a longtime sports journalist based out of Nashville with a decade of experience covering college football, mixed martial arts and prep sports plus the NFL and NHL — specifically the Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators. He’s covered several notable sporting events including an AFC Championship game, a Stanley Cup Final, an NHL All-Star Game and an NHL Stadium Series. Some of his past bylines can be found at the Nashville Scene, SB Nation, The Hockey News and Fox Sports Knoxville

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