The obvious answer here is that these two will likely run it back. That's the standard operating procedure for long-time champions and Adesanya likely qualifies despite dropping his belt to Alex Pereira for a brief stint.

But if we're talking about what's best for Strickland, it's doing what he can to convince the bosses to let him take on a different challenge. Strickland was a massive underdog for a reason. Adesanya is a cerebral striker with multiple layers to his game.

As we saw with the recent two-fight series between Amanda Nunes and Julianna Pena, the rematch doesn't always go so well for the surprise champion.

Instead, Strickland should campaign for a fight with Dricus Du Plessis. The South African was supposed to fight Adesanya at UFC 293, but he withdrew with an undisclosed injury.

Both UFC president Dana White and Adesanya expressed frustration with him for pulling out. However, he has earned his shot at the title with a 6-0 record since coming to the UFC in 2020.

It would still be a massive challenge for Strickland. Du Plessis' power, strength and size provide an interesting matchup for his volume-based approach.

Still, it would be better to test those waters than try his hand at matching his performance against the now-former champ.