Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is approaching a crossroads in his storied MMA career. The 35-year-old, who turns 36 in July, has suffered three consecutive defeats—two of them by stoppage—casting doubt on what comes next for “The Last Stylebender.”
Though his place in UFC history is secure, Adesanya has remained noncommittal about his fighting future since his last outing, a TKO loss to Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Saudi Arabia in February.
“Izzy is being Izzy, I don’t know what he’s doing next, but that’s a good place to be,” said his longtime coach Eugene Bareman in an interview with Combat TV. “Yeah, he’s just doing him. I don’t know.”
Bareman emphasized that the decision rests entirely with Adesanya.
“If he was going to fight again, then he’s going to fight again,” he said. “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.”
Adesanya (24-5) currently sits at No. 4 in the UFC’s middleweight rankings, just ahead of fellow former champ Robert Whittaker. But with rising contenders reshaping the division, some insiders believe the era of Adesanya dominance has reached its conclusion.
Still, if Adesanya’s silence is any indication, the next move will come on his terms—whether it’s one last run at the belt or a quiet walk away from the Octagon.
