Did Israel Adesanya announce retirement? Everything you need to know about Superstar’s long break
Israel Adesanya is arguably the second-greatest middleweight fighter of all time. Find out if he retired from combat sports.
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Israel Adesanya talked fighting future, retirement and hiatus on The Rock Podcast (via Imago)
Israel Adesanya had a meteoric rise in his UFC career. In the sixth fight of his career, he won the UFC gold. He had a respectable reign as the champion till late 2022. However, the last year featured the highest of highs and lowest of lows of his career. After his recent loss against Sean Strickland, many have wondered if Israel Adesanya will choose retirement from the sport.
Adesanya lost his first fight in the middleweight division against Alex Pereira at UFC 281. However, Adesanya bounced back with a spectacular knockout against Pereira at UFC 287. His second title reign did not last long, as Strickland outclassed Adesanya at UFC 293. “The Last Stylebender” looked devastated after the loss and refused to attend the post-fight press conference.
His recent appearance on the Rock Podcast made fans confused about his future. Did Israel Adesanya announce his retirement? Find out the details surrounding the former middleweight champion’s future.
Related: Israel Adesanya Net Worth 2023, UFC Salary and Endorsements
What did Israel Adesanya say on the Rock Podcast? Did he announce retirement?
Israel Adesanya made his first appearance on the Rock Podcast after his loss to Sean Strickland. The Last Stylebender talked about his feelings heading into the fight against Strickland. He wanted to fight as much as possible because he would miss it when he retired.
Adesanya said, “Now I’m going to take time to look after myself, and I’m not going to fight for a long time. I’m definitely not going to retire because I know me – I’m not leaving like that. I know me. But if I did, I’m fine. I don’t need to prove anything else. You won’t see me fight for a long time.” (H/T MMA Junkie)
Does Israel Adesanya’s statement on the Rock Podcast indicate retirement? Will he return?
Adesanya talked about needing a change to his current lifestyle. He did state that if he were to leave the sport, he would be fine with it. It makes a fight fan wonder if Adesanya has walked away from the sport. However, Adesanya stated that he might not fight for a long time.
The term “long time” is ambiguous. If the long time is a year, fight fans might not see him fight till 2025. By that time, the division would change drastically, and new fighters would rise up the ranks. One fact engraved in stones is that only a handful of fighters have ever come back to their prime self after sitting out for a long time.
Georges St-Pierre did it in 2017. Jon Jones did it multiple times in his career. However, fighters like Conor McGregor, Henry Cejudo, and Cain Velasquez could not return to their peak self. Only time will tell on which category Adesanya belongs to when he returns from his hiatus.
FAQs
Sean Strickland defeated Adesanya at UFC 293.
He did not announce his retirement but will not fight for a long time.
He might not fight in 2024.
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Nidhin Shibu
(2537 Articles Published)