Former UFC Middleweight Champion, Israel Adesanya, has revealed his ambition to step back into the Octagon before the year concludes.
According to The PUNCH, the Nigerian-born fighter recently found himself outside the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings for the first time in five years, a change that has fueled his determination to showcase his capabilities at the highest level once more.
Adesanya’s drop in the rankings followed his submission defeat to South Africa’s Dricus du Plessis at UFC 305, where he aimed to reclaim the middleweight title.
This loss marked the second consecutive setback for Adesanya, who had previously suffered an unexpected defeat to Sean Strickland that cost him the championship.
Despite these challenges, ‘The Last Stylebender’ maintains an optimistic outlook regarding his career trajectory.
In a recent interview, he spoke candidly about his desire to fight again soon, stating, “Right now, after I just fought him (Du Plessis), I don’t think it’s going to be immediately. I’d rather just fight—not really for the belt, just fight for fighting’s sake. I want to fight one more time before the end of this year or early next year.”
Adesanya’s coach, Eugene Bareman, has also hinted that a return to the cage is likely in 2024.
Bareman emphasized that Adesanya has been actively training, continuing to sharpen his skills with other fighters at City Kickboxing, further indicating that the former champion is not taking his setbacks lightly.
Currently, Adesanya seems focused on refining his abilities rather than rushing back into a title shot.
He expressed interest in observing the developments in the middleweight division, particularly the anticipated fights involving Sean Strickland against Dricus du Plessis and Robert Whittaker facing Khamzat Chimaev.
“I’m just training, building up where we left off. I’ll get the call at some point with a few options. I think Dana will hit me up at some point,” he noted, hinting at his readiness to respond to future opportunities.
As Adesanya contemplates his next steps, the landscape of the middleweight division continues to shift, with prominent fighters like Islam Makhachev and Alex Pereira currently holding top positions in the pound-for-pound rankings.
In the meantime, Aljamain Sterling has stepped in to replace Adesanya on the list, further adding to the competitive nature of the sport.
