Former UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, who once held prime real estate on the promotion’s pound-for-pound chart, turns 36 in July and has now lost three straight, getting finished in two of those three losses.
His legacy is certain, according to Adesanya, but his future inside the Octagon is not.
“Izzy is being Izzy, I don’t know what he’s doing next, but that’s a good place to be,” longtime head coach, Eugene Bareman, said during a recent interview with local outlet, Combat TV. “Yeah, he’s just doing him. I don’t know.”
“If he was going to fight again, then he’s going to fight again,” Bareman continued. “If he’s not, then we’ve been blessed, I’ve been blessed, the world’s been blessed, the team’s been blessed. But yeah, it’s completely up to him.”
Most industry insiders (including this former champion) insists “it’s over” for Adesanya.
“The Last Stylebender” was noncommittal on his fighting future after getting stopped by Nassourdine Imavov atop the UFC Saudi Arabia card last February. Adesanya (24-5) is currently ranked No. 4 at 185 pounds, one spot above fellow ex-champion, Robert Whittaker, who is also struggling to stay afloat in the new-look middleweight division.
End of an era?
