If Israel Adesanya intends on regaining his UFC middleweight crown, he had best get to the back of the line according to 185-pound rival Marvin Vettori. 

Adesanya lost out to sizeable underdog Sean Strickland last weekend in Sydney, Australia, in a performance in which he appeared to be unable to mount any significant offence in the face of constant walk-forward pressure from the American. And while both Adesanya and his coach, Eugene Bareman, have indicated that a rematch is their next preferred option, Vettori says it is time for the division to move on.

“I just don’t like this guy. Can I not like this guy? I don’t f*cking like this guy, so I personally think that he doesn’t deserve a f*cking rematch,” the Italian fighter said to the Dream Rare podcast, as noted by MMA Junkie. “Why? I don’t even think he wants a rematch. He felt like – he’s going to lose again, so I don’t even think like he wants the rematch right now.”

Dricus du Plessis had been considered as the likely next challenger before Strickland leapfrogged him in the title picture and his him on the horizon, as well as Jared Cannonier and perhaps Khamzat Chimaev, Vettori said that it is time for others to get their opportunity at gold.

“I mean like let’s see what Sean will do as the champ,” Vettori said. “He shook up the division and I think (Dricus) Du Plessis is on the line. He beat up (Robert) Whittaker the way he did, you cannot deny him a f*cking title shot man, way more than Adesanya. I think that’s also a very good fight for Strickland.

“Oh! f*cking Jared — Jared too,” Vettori added. “They will come at me for sure: ‘You’re salty,’ this and that. I think Adesanya’s time is over. It’s passed, so we’ll see. But I don’t think that rematch would even sell. I don’t know. Definitely, I would be way more excited to see Strickland and Du Plessis or even a rematch with Cannonier, and down the road who f*cking knows.”