UFC: at 35, Adesanya considering hanging up the gloves
Israel Adesanya is nearing the end. Ahead of his next fight, the Nigerian, who has lost his last two bouts, knows he is in decline and is now thinking short term.
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Israel Adesanya is nearing the end. Ahead of his next fight, the Nigerian, who has lost his last two bouts, knows he is in decline and is now looking only to the short term.
Fewer fights
Apart from 2022, when he fought three times, in February (unanimous decision win over Robert Whittaker), July (unanimous decision win over Jared Cannonier) and November (defeat by Alex Pereira), Adesanya has not fought more than twice in a year since 2020. "The Last Stylebender," as he is nicknamed, has been even less active this year, with just one fight, the August defeat by South Africa's Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305. It is the first time that has happened since 2013, his second year as a professional. These are far from insignificant figures, and point to a career that is nearing its end.
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"I don't want to be fighting at 40."
In a recent appearance on the podcast Flagrant, the fighter, who has an impressive professional record of 24 wins and 4 defeats, gave the impression that he fully intends to win back his world middleweight title: "I was champion for so long, and when I lost it, I told myself: Damn, here we go again. Even when I lost to Strickland, I felt there was a target on my back, and that's still the case… I wasn't attached to the result. I just wanted to show up and I wanted to fight. That's what I did," Israel Adesanya said, in comments relayed by Actu MMA.
Aware that the end is near, the Lagos native is now more selective about the fights he takes, favouring a more lucrative bout: "Now I'm in a situation where I'm wondering who I'm going to fight and when I'm going to do it. Because I only do main events, five-round fights and title fights. That's all I've done in recent years. But it's rather nice not to have to focus on that right now. It's just about fighting, showing up, making money. We'll see. I'm excited," he went on.
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He added: "When will I retire? I have no idea. At 20, I said: When I'm 34, I'll be done with combat sports. I'm 35 now. But I know I'm past the halfway point and that I've got a few years left in me, maybe three. But who knows? I know I don't want to be fighting at 40."