Adesanya Not Planning To Retire Yet

Despite three consecutive losses, former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is not planning to retire.

Eugene Bareman, Adesanya’s coach, made the comments about his fighter. Adesanya’s recent struggles have fuelled speculation about his future. His last victory came in April 2023 with a knockout win over Alex Pereira, but since then, he has faced a series of setbacks. He lost his middleweight title to Sean Strickland in September 2023, followed by a defeat to Dricus du Plessis in February 2024 and a TKO loss to Nassourdine Imavov this year. And yet, Bareman feels Izzy still has a lot to give to the sport. 

“Izzy, right now, had, basically, the start of the year off [after the Imavov loss], and he has come back into training in the last couple of months. He’s training regularly, so he’s training every day, twice a day. And he needs to prepare his mind and body for a potential fight at the end of this year, and so that’s what he’s doing. As far as opponents, I don’t know. Izzy’s got a couple more in him, just give him a fun fight. Give him something exciting. Give him something fun. I haven’t really thought about specific names, [we should] leave it to the fans, I guess,” Bareman said 

The Decision

Adesanya is a two-time middleweight champion, and a fighter of his caliber would not want to end his career on a losing streak. Additionally, his recent losses can be seen as a series of correctable mistakes rather than a complete physical decline. The loss to Sean Strickland was a stylistic puzzle that many believed he could solve in a rematch. The defeat to Dricus du Plessis was a closely contested submission. And the TKO loss to Nassourdine Imavov, while concerning, may not happen in a rematch. 

However, a three-fight losing streak, which includes a title loss and a TKO defeat, is not a fluke. It is a sign that he is no longer at his physical peak. For a fighter who has been a dominant force for years, this is a dangerous path. Another loss, especially a fourth consecutive one, could severely tarnish his reputation as an all-time great.