Israel Adesanya only has ‘a few” more fights in him before he retires from UFC, according to one of his long-time coaches, Eugene Bareman.
Adesanya stormed into the UFC with a mix of kickboxing brilliance and showmanship, carving through the middleweight division with precision striking and highlight finishes. His 2019 title win over Robert Whittaker cemented him as champion, and dominant defenses against the likes of Paulo Costa and Marvin Vettori defined his prime years. But recent setbacks, including two losses to Sean Strickland and Alex Pereira, have exposed vulnerabilities that weren’t evident during his meteoric rise.
Now, at 35, Adesanya and his team are eyeing the final chapter of his career — a handful of defining fights over the next year to shape his legacy. And one opponent in particular stands out for Adesanya to return against before he hangs up his gloves forever.
Israel Adesanya’s Team Wants Massive Rematch Before UFC Retirement
If Adesanya is to return he’ll do so carrying great pressure to the Octagon as he’ll be tasked with halting a skid in which he’s lost all three of his last bouts, and four of his last five.
Bareman Submission Radio that Adesanya has had the year off since losing to Nassourdine Imavov in February, but has returned to training. “He’s training regularly, so he’s training every day, twice a day,” Bareman said. “And he needs to prepare his mind and body for a potential fight at the end of this year, and so that’s what he’s doing.”
Bareman said he wasn’t yet sure who would be on the shortlist of probable opponents that Adesanya will return against, but stressed there’s a few more fights they’ll take on before the fighter calls time on his career.
“Izzy’s got a couple more in him, just give him a fun fight. Give him something exciting. Give him something fun. I haven’t really thought about specific names, [we should] leave it to the fans, I guess.”
But if it were up to Adesanya, there is one name that trumps the others — Strickland, whom he lost to at UFC 293, but wants to desperately fight again to level the scoreline.
“I think naturally as a fighter, Izzy wants to get that one back.”
“I think that’s just natural,” Bareman continued. “He knows Sean got the better of him, you can’t take nothing away from Sean that night. But I think Izzy, or us as a team, feel that we can definitely put on a better performance against Strickland.”
“But that was his night. Sean got the job done… and he held the title for a little bit, and that was his night.”
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