Israel Adesanya knows he is nearing the end of his combat sports career. The former two-time UFC middleweight champion appears to have passed his peak. ‘Stylebender’ has lost three consecutive fights ahead of his return at UFC Seattle on March 28. A defeat against Joe Pyfer would harm his legacy, but it will not force Adesanya into retirement.
Israel Adesanya outlines retirement plan
Adesanya says fans should expect him to fight roughly 10 more times before stepping away. To reach that number, the 36-year-old must stay highly active in the coming years. “Less than 10,” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel when discussing how many fights remain. “I know it’s less than 10. It can’t be more than 10. If I fight now, then maybe one more fight toward the end of the year. That’s two fights. If I fight twice a year, next year I can still compete. 2028 is uncertain. I can’t see past 2027. I just know I’m approaching the tail end. I can see the finish line. I’ve seen it from a distance, and now it’s closer.”
Setback delayed his comeback
Adesanya has not competed since his shock knockout loss to Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Saudi Arabia in February 2025. He recently revealed that his return was originally planned for a short-notice fight, which fell through due to injury. “I was going to fight last year, but I got injured in the gym, and the opportunity disappeared,” he said. “It was a short-notice fight, and I had never done one. That would have been exciting.”
He prepared to face Reinier de Ridder on five or six weeks’ notice. Although he did not give a specific date, Anthony Hernandez withdrew from his UFC Vancouver main event with de Ridder in October, suggesting Adesanya might have filled that slot. “That moment got taken away from me, but looking back, it was probably for the best, even though I was disappointed at the time,” he reflected.
