Israel Adesanya looked set to start another dominant rule over the UFC middleweight division after one of 2023’s best knockouts.
When a late finish for Alex Pereira in November 2023 marked the first loss of his 185-pound career and the end of his lengthy championship reign, Adesanya immediately set his sights on redemption.
And he got that just five months later at UFC 287 in Miami, where Adesanya brutally knocked Pereira out to finally get one over on his longtime combat sports rival.
Not many would have predicted what was to come, but it seems that UFC CEO Dana White might have had his concerns.
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Dana White warned Israel Adesanya against making a quick turnaround to headline UFC 293
During a recent episode of his Young Man Ramble podcast, featuring Sean O’Malley and coach Tim Welch as guests, Adesanya looked back on the start of his ongoing woes inside the Octagon.
The Nigerian-New Zealander’s second middleweight reign was swiftly ended in shocking fashion, with Sean Strickland upsetting Adesanya at UFC 293 in Sydney, Australia.
That result came just five months after Adesanya’s battle with Pereira and was the latest bout in a highly active period, sparking talk of potential burnout.
As it turns out, that was something White had warned the then-champion about soon after his return to the throne against Pereira.
“I was like, ‘Nah, I have to fight in Sydney. I haven’t fought on this side of the world in so long,'” Adesanya said.
“Dana was like, ‘Listen, kid, you’ve got enough money, just chill out for a while.’ … I was like, ‘Nah,’ and I went all stubborn.
“In hindsight I’m like, maybe Dana was right, maybe I should have just chilled,” Adesanya added.
Israel Adesanya has lost three straight since finally defeating Alex Pereira
The surprise five-round setback to Strickland was the first of three defeats that have followed Adesanya’s memorable KO against ‘Poatan’.
‘The Last Stylebender’ acknowledged the need for some time away from competition and took 11 months off after losing to Strickland before returning straight into a title shot.
But the grudge match against Dricus du Plessis in August 2024 did not go Adesanya’s way either, with the 35-year-old suffering a submission defeat in round four of the competitive pay-per-view headliner.
Most recently, Adesanya was stopped with strikes by someone not named Alex Pereira for the first time in his fighting career.
Following a strong first round for the former two-time middleweight king, Nassourdine Imavov was able to rock him and find the stoppage in round two at UFC Saudi Arabia in February 2025.
It remains to be seen what will await Adesanya next, but the UFC legend has dismissed talk of a retirement for the time being.
Though an opponent is unconfirmed, ‘The Last Stylebender’ has made his desire to meet Strickland in a rematch clear, hoping to even their score inside the cage after a frustrating night Down Under two years ago.