MMA
Israel Adesanya Says He’ll “Soon” Return to UFC
by privatebet.com - 2023/12/24
Israel Adesanya made many remarks suggesting he’s taking a prolonged break from the UFC, but it seems he’ll return sooner than expected. The former UFC middleweight champion recently dropped some hints about his comeback and said he’ll be back pretty soon. Adesanya hasn’t hit the ring since losing the title to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 in September. Following this defeat, the 34-year-old suggested he wasn’t "going to fight for a long time" and hinted he wouldn’t be back until 2027, but it turns out this was just a joke. Adesanya recently discussed his plans for the future with iFL TV and said that he’s not actually planning to take a break until 2027. "Right now, I'm taking my time. My last few fights – I had four fights in 14 months as a champion in the UFC. That's unheard of. I was the most active champion - not fighter, champion – in the league… Life has forced me to take some time off, and I will, but you will see me soon,” said Adesanya. Adesanya’s decision to take a break makes total sense, given the fact he’s been one of the busiest champions in the UFC over the past two years. He took part in three title fights in 2022 and two more in 2023, before suffering a loss to Strickland.