Israel Adesanya says that when he walks away from fighting he will stay retired, stating "once I'm done, I'm f*cking done." The two-time UFC middleweight champion, 37, is on a four-fight losing streak, including finishes against Joe Pyfer, Nassourdine Imavov and Dricus du Plessis. He said he doesn't want to be a fighter who comes back because he doesn't know what to do with himself, and expects to scratch the adrenaline itch with other risks outside combat sports.
Israel Adesanya says that when he finally walks away from fighting, there will be no comeback. "Once I'm done, I'm f*cking done," the former champion said, adding that he has no interest in becoming a fighter who keeps returning because he doesn't know what to do with himself.
The comments come at a difficult stretch for the 37-year-old. Adesanya is on a four-fight losing streak that includes finishes against Joe Pyfer, Nassourdine Imavov and Dricus du Plessis. He said he expects to satisfy the adrenaline itch through other risks outside combat sports once his career ends.
The fighter behind the vow
Adesanya, a two-time UFC middleweight champion, holds a 24-6 record and is currently ranked ninth in the division. The Nigerian-born striker trains with City Kickboxing and fights from a switch stance. At six-foot-four with an 80-inch reach, he has long relied on distance management and precise counter striking, landing 4.03 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy.
The names on the losing streak
Du Plessis, 32, sits second in the middleweight rankings and seventh in the pound-for-pound list. The South African, who trains at Team CIT, is 24-3 and brings a high-volume attack, landing 5.21 significant strikes per minute while averaging 1.9 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Imavov, 30, is ranked third at 185 pounds with a 17-4 record. The Frenchman of MMA Factory fights orthodox and lands 4.28 significant strikes per minute at a 54 percent clip, with a submission attempt rate of one per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Adesanya's stance suggests he is thinking seriously about the end of his career rather than chasing a way to extend it.
- A four-fight skid has pushed a former two-time champion down to ninth in the rankings, well outside the title picture he once dominated.
- His losses have come against fighters ranked at or near the top of the division, underlining how competitive the current middleweight landscape is.
