Israel Adesanya Claims Glory 'Screwed' Him Out of a World Title in Blunt Reflection on Kickboxing Career

The past few years haven’t been kind to Israel Adesanya. Once a fixture at the very top of the sport, the former UFC middleweight champion has endured a difficult stretch, suffering three consecutive losses over the last three years. As a result, ‘The Last Stylebender’ isn’t rushing back into competition despite the UFC’s stacked 2026 schedule. However, it isn’t his recent skid that has the 36-year-old in a reflective mood.

The City Kickboxing standout recently visited Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA, where he took part in an open and candid Q&A with members of the community. During the session, a fan asked Adesanya about his stint in the Glory Kickboxing promotion. The question opened the door to a raw look back at his early career, with Adesanya pulling no punches as he claimed the promotion had robbed him of a world title.

Israel Adesanya says Glory was a crooked organization

“Man, that was a crooked organization just for me,” Adesanya said candidly. He was careful to clarify that his criticism reflected only his personal experience and might not mirror the views of other fighters who were, or still are, part of the promotion. “But for me, my experience was okay, then it turned to s—t. Same with the Chinese, it was good, and then it turned to s—t, and I was like, well f—k, I got to do something. I was going broke.”

Israel Adesanya competed in Glory primarily between 2014 and 2017, a period that marked the peak and most high-profile chapter of his kickboxing career before he transitioned to MMA and ultimately joined the UFC in 2018. Although his run with Glory was relatively brief, it was highly impactful. He debuted in 2014, rapidly climbed the middleweight ranks, won a major contender tournament, and earned a shot at the world title.

That title opportunity ended in defeat against Jason Wilnis, a Dutch mixed martial artist and former kickboxer. For Adesanya, Glory represented his first true exposure on an elite international stage after dominating regional circuits in New Zealand, Australia, and China. Despite his frustrations, he acknowledged the role the promotion played in his development.