Israel Adesanya knows his combat sports career is approaching its final chapter. The former two-time UFC middleweight champion seems past his prime. ‘Stylebender’ has lost three fights in a row ahead of his return at UFC Seattle on March 28. A defeat to Joe Pyfer would hurt his legacy, but it will not force him to retire.
How many fights remain for Adesanya
Adesanya says fans can expect roughly 10 more fights before he steps away. To reach that goal, the 36-year-old must stay very active in the coming years. “Less than 10,” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel when asked how many fights he has left. “I know it’s less than 10. It can’t be more than 10. If I fight now, then maybe one more fight toward the end of the year. That’s two fights. If I fight twice a year, I can still compete next year. 2028 is unclear. I can’t see past 2027. I just know I’m on the tail end. I can see the finish line. I’ve seen it from a distance, and now it’s closer.”
Comeback plans hit a setback
Adesanya has not fought since his shock knockout loss to Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Saudi Arabia in February 2025. He recently revealed that his return was originally planned for a short-notice fight, which fell through after an injury. “I was going to fight last year, but I got injured in the gym, and the opportunity disappeared,” he said. “It was a short-notice fight, and I had never done one. That would have been exciting.”
He had been preparing to face Reinier de Ridder on five or six weeks’ notice. Although he did not give an exact date, Anthony Hernandez withdrew from his UFC Vancouver main event with de Ridder in October, suggesting Adesanya might have stepped in. “That moment got taken away from me, but looking back, it was probably for the best, even though I was disappointed at the time,” he reflected.
