Israel Adesanya is DONE, claims legend Michael Bisping after UFC Saudi Arabia
Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping reacts to Israel Adesanya's recent defeat against Nassourdine Imavov.
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Michael Bisping reacts to Israel Adesanya's defeat against Nassourdine Imavov (Image via UFC/Imago)
The ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, hosted an electrifying UFC fight night for the second time just a day ago. The main event featured a matchup between Israel Adesanya and Nassourdine Imavov, which captured significant attention in the UFC community. Notably, Michael Bisping even shared his thoughts on the performance of former UFC middleweight champion Adesanya during the fight.
Interestingly, the onlookers of the fight saw Israel Adesanya being decisively defeated by the promising Nassourdine Imavov. With this loss, the Nigerian-born Kiwi fighter experienced his third consecutive defeat for the first time. This remarkable event prompted a reaction from UFC legend Michael Bisping. As such, Bisping even made a strong statement about the implications of Adesanya’s defeat.
The biggest takeaway is that it’s over. Israel Adesanya’s reign as champion, I don’t think will come again. I say that with the greatest of respect and I truly mean that. An original. An incredible fighter. A legend of the sport. A future Hall of Famer. But his time at the top is done.
Michael Bisping via UFC Saudi Arabia post-fight show
Although Adesanya appeared steady and comfortable against Imavov, he was unexpectedly hit with a powerful right hand. This incident is not unprecedented for the former UFC champion. In his previous fight where he faced Dricus Du Plessis, a similar occurrence took place. In the fourth round of that match, Du Plessis took advantage of a small mistake made by Adesanya and submitted him.
Is Israel Adesanya's time as a title contender over? pic.twitter.com/plqHNw97qw
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) February 2, 2025
Despite Bisping’s assertion that Adesanya may not be able to revive his UFC career, he emphasized that ‘Izzy’ will still be regarded as one of the legends of the sport. This sentiment has also been expressed by several other prominent figures in the community. However, Adesanya’s defeat against Imavov has left many disheartened, as Izzy remains a favorite among them.
Israel Adesanya gets an interesting fight offer amidst defeat at UFC Saudi Arabia
Throughout his UFC career, Israel Adesanya has repeatedly demonstrated his mettle to the world. Notably, Adesanya has defeated several promising prospects in the UFC middleweight division. One of the notable fighters ‘Izzy’ neutralized is the ‘Italian Dream’ Marvin Vettori. Notably, Adesanya has defeated Vettori on two occasions.
In their first encounter, Izzy faced the Italian fighter during his second outing in the UFC. Their most recent clash occurred at UFC 263, where Adesanya defended his middleweight title against Vettori. Currently, as the Nigerian-born Kiwi fighter struggles to regain momentum in the promotion, the Italian fighter made a mockery of the situation while extending an offer to Izzy.
Only chance for adesanya to win a fight is to fight me lol.
Marvin Vettori via X (@MarvinVettori)
Only chance for adesanya to win a fight is to fight me lol
— Marvin Vettori (@MarvinVettori) February 1, 2025
Interestingly, similar to Adesanya, Vettori’s recent performance in the UFC has remained inconsistent. His last win in the promotion was against Roman Dolidze at UFC 286. However, the Italian fighter suffered a crushing defeat in his most recent outing against Jared Cannonier. Given this context, it will be intriguing to see how the UFC approaches the matchup between Adesanya and Vettori.
Related: Why does Israel Adesanya hate Monster Energy? Is there a villain in this UFC lore?
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Nilaav Gogoi
(592 Articles Published)