UFC middleweight contender Renier de Ridder has declared his readiness to face former two-time champion Israel Adesanya, expressing his admiration for the Nigerian-born New Zealand fighter whilst calling for a bout between the pair.

“I greatly admire him because he has done so much in the sport. He still has the best record, he defeated Pereira in his last fight, and he fights so elegantly. For me, this is a more significant reason to have a fight rather than with a guy who demands it on the basis that he simply hates me,” de Ridder said, according to Inside Fighting.

The call-out comes as Adesanya continues to seek his path back to title contention following a difficult period in his career.

‘The Last Stylebender’ is currently enduring a three-fight losing spiral that began with his shock defeat to Sean Strickland at UFC 293, where he lost the middleweight title.

Adesanya has been targeting a rematch with Strickland as his preferred opponent for his planned UFC comeback in late 2025, with the former champion eyeing a return to the octagon between mid-September and October.

“Most likely, I’m gonna guess to mid-September, October,” Adesanya told Ariel Helwani regarding his comeback date. “Sean. No question. He lost his last fight. I lost my fight. And it’s like, ‘Alright. Cool. Want a rematch?’”

However, Adesanya has expressed frustration that Strickland isn’t engaging with his call-outs, leaving the former two-time champion curious about his rival’s reluctance to respond.

The planned comeback comes just days after Adesanya received one of the sport’s highest honours, being inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. His epic 2019 clash with Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236 was enshrined in the Fight Wing, joining other legendary contests in the promotion’s prestigious Hall of Fame.