Israel Adesanya has been one of the biggest stars of the UFC in recent times. Having ruled the middleweight division once, ‘Izzy’ quickly became a name that opponents used to be fearful of. Sadly, Adesanya has been going through a rough phase after his championship loss to Sean Strickland. ‘Izzy’ came back to fight Dricus Du Plessis for the title back in August 2024. While he looked good in the bout, Du Plessis’ sudden submission move forced him to tap out.
Now, Adesanya’s team claimed that he was not well prepared for the match. Putting in a swift turnaround, ‘Izzy’ came back to fight at the UFC Fight Night in Saudi Arabia. Facing off against Nassourdine Imavov, no one expected Adesanya to lose. In a shocking turn of events, ‘Izzy’ got knocked out, much to the dismay of the fans. And MMA analyst Sayif Saud knows the exact reason for such a downfall.
“At 35 years old, if you’re just a hair slower, just a hair, just like Roy Jones Jr. The guy was all reflexes. He would hit people and come back and they couldn’t even touch him. He got just a hair slower and that was the difference. So I think that’s what we’re seeing with Izzy,” said Saud.
Well, that pretty much sums up the poor showing from Adesanya. For the uninitiated, Saud is the head coach at Fortis MMA. He is also one of the nominees for the Analyst Of The Year Award at the 16th Annual World MMA Awards. Meanwhile, after his shocking loss, Adesanya had a somber update for his fans.
Israel Adesanya Retiring?
Israel Adesanya is known to be a warrior. A loss here and there is not enough to make him crestfallen and depressed. Unfortunately, after his recent loss to Imavov, ‘Izzy’ is looking a tad bit disappointed. Instead of immediately trying to bounce back, Adesanya teased the possibility of his retirement after UFC Saudi Arabia.
“I don’t know. I’ll have to chill and think about things,” Adesanya said while speaking to ESPN MMA.
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Israel Adesanya on what’s next for him after his loss at #UFCSaudiArabia:
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) February 1, 2025
“I don’t know. I’ll have to chill and think about things.”
🎥 @espnmma #UFC #MMApic.twitter.com/ioFmAyWO2C
Thus, it is evident that things are looking a bit dark for Israel Adesanya. Now, it remains to be seen how things pan out for him in the upcoming days.
Also Read: Israel Adesanya Shouts Out Andrew Tate After ‘Top G’s’ Shows Support During His Downfall
