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Kiwi UFC star Israel Adesanya doesn't rule out moving up in weight class in the future

The middleweight mixed martial artist is undefeated in MMA, with a record of 15-0.

Israel Adesanya says going up a weight class isn't out of the question in the future, with the top middleweight UFC star revealing today in Auckland that he plans to conquer the middleweight division first.

The Nigerian born Kiwi fighter is set to take on Brazilian mixed martial arts legend Anderson Silva, in the co-main event at UFC 234 next Sunday in Melbourne.

Adesanya, 29, told 1 NEWS that moving up in weight could be a possibility down the line.

"Yep definitely, I don't know what is going to happen with the weight classes. They might even put in a 195 [pounds division]," Adesanya.

"Like 205 [93kg], 195 [88.5kg] – might be a double champ, you never know we'll see. I have my own ideas and plans for the game, for the sport.

"Yeah in time, I'll play my cards right, hold my cards to my chest."

Adesanya said he persuaded UFC president Dana White in a meeting in Sydney last November, that he needs more high-profile fights.

"Everything he said is out the window, I changed his mind. So I changed his mind on the whole 'move him slowly thing,'" Adesanya said.

"I let him know, 'this is ain't my first rodeo, I have been out here for a long time'. He might not have heard of me until two years ago maybe.

The Nigerian born Kiwi will face the Brazilian MMA legend next Sunday in Melbourne as the co-main event of UFC 234.

"But I have been working in this field of fighting for so long. So, I convinced him that I have been ready for this title shot.

"It's not ahhh 'let's see how he moves along' nah. I'm going to fight all these guys anyway so might as well do it with the belt around my shoulder."

Silva has been promised a title shot by White if he manages to defeat Adesanya next weekend.

Adesanya has a 4-0 win record in the UFC and has an undefeated record of 15 MMA bouts.

In his last fight at UFC 230 in New York, the Auckland City Kickboxing fighter defeated his US rival Derek Brunson via first round TKO.

Adesanya is ranked sixth in the middleweight [83.9kg] division with Silva ranked 15th.

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