Israel Adesanya doesn’t have long left in MMA.
Adesanya is a two-time UFC middleweight champion and one of the best fighters of his generation, but at 36 years old, “The Last Stylebender” is closer to the end of his MMA run than the beginning. Even before transitioning to MMA, Adesanya had a long kickboxing career, meaning the future UFC Hall of Famer has been fighting professionally for 25 years, and with that sort of mileage, Adesanya knows the end is coming soon.
“Less than 10 [fights],” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel when asked about retirement. “… Who knows? It’s less than 10. It can’t be past 10. So, if I fight, say, fight now, fight one more time toward the end of the year, that’s two fights. If I do two fights a year, f*ck. Next year, I can still fight. 2028 is where I’ll be like — I don’t know yet. I don’t know. I can’t see past 2027. I don’t think that far ahead at the moment.
“I do glance at it, but I don’t really try and focus on it. I just know I’m on the tail end. I can see the finish line. I’ve been seeing the finish line in the distance, but now it’s closer. But who knows what pace I’ll get there?”
Since joining the UFC in 2018, Adesanya has kept up a torrid fighting pace, competing 18 times over eight years. Adding in his kickboxing bouts, Adesanya has over 100 professional fights on his resumé already. And so, whenever he does hang up the gloves, Adesanya has no intention of being one of those fighters who retires and then unretires a few months later.
“I’m done. There’s more to life than fighting,” Adesanya said about his future retirement. “I could just be a DJ. … We’ve also got Hollywood knocking on the door. But, again, I’d rather, to be honest, go into EA, Activision, all these video game companies, than do Hollywood. … The whole industry itself, because of streaming and the use of AI and whatnot. Who knows what’s happening there?
“I will do a few movies, I’m sure. One or two. But I’d rather get into some gaming. Not e-sports, me playing, but even like sponsoring a team. I don’t know, something. There’s other avenues. So, when I’m done, I’m done.”
But Adesanya isn’t done yet. Next month, the former champion returns to action for the first time in a year, taking on Joe Pyfer in the main event of UFC Seattle on March 28. And though Adesanya is currently on a three-fight losing streak, the worst of his career, he envisions a return to form that will leave people less concerned with his possible exit from the sport.
“I think he’s a dangerous guy,” Adesanya said. “He’s a dangerous guy because he doesn’t wrap his hands, because he believes he’s got f*cking weapons of mass destruction in his hands. And he might, but I’ll find a way. I always find a way.
“I feel really good. It’s different now. Certain things I can’t share, because I keep shit on the low, but I feel unstoppable. I really feel unstoppable, because everything I’ve done is for this moment in my life. Everything I’ve done in this game has been for this moment in my life now. And now that it’s here, it’s like, f*ck! I can’t be f*cked with.”
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