Israel Adesanya set to take extended break from competition after loss to Sean Strickland at UFC 293

After 11 straight UFC title fights since mid-2019, Israel Adesanya is taking some time for himself.

The former two-time middleweight champion has confirmed he will be taking an extended break from the sport following his upset loss to American Sean Strickland in Sydney last month, which saw him lose the title he had just won back in April.

Adesanya has made a point of being an active fighter since arriving on the scene with the world’s largest mixed martial arts promotion in February 2018, and continued to take on all comers when he claimed UFC gold in 2019.

Since being signed to the UFC, Adesanya has fought 16 times, with 12 of those being five-round fights and 11 being with UFC gold on the line. From his first opportunity at a UFC title in April 2019 to his recent loss to Strickland, Adesanya averaged a title fight every five months – which also included several when strict travel restrictions were in place during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and mandatory quarantine was required for returning travellers.

Over the last couple of years, however, the 34-year-old took things up a notch, competing in four title fights since last July at an average of one every three and a half months.

Adesanya has often noted that he knows his time in the sport is fleeting and he wants to make hay while the sun is shining. However, after a disappointing performance against Strickland saw him beaten on the scorecards for the first time as a middleweight, the City Kickboxing-trained fighter told The Rock that some time away from the sport would be best for his career.

“Fourteen months, four fights – as a champion. Find any other champion aside from me and Volk [Alexander Volkanovski] who is as active as that,” Adesanya said.

“I don’t make any excuses – Strickland got me on the night because he was a better fighter on the night and he did his work well, had a good team behind him, but now I’m going to take time for myself and I’m not going to fight for a long time.

“I’m definitely not going to retire because I know me, but if I did, I’m fine. I don’t need to prove anything else, but I know what I can do and what I can change in my lifestyle to make my body adapt to where I need to be.

“I’m going to heal myself up and you won’t see me fight for a long time... then, when I come back, f***ing run for the hills.”

While he has not committed to a timeframe for his return, Adesanya has previously indicated he would like to be part of UFC 300, expected to be held late in the first quarter of 2024.

The middleweight landscape could be vastly different when Adesanya does return, with a short-notice fight on next weekend’s UFC 294 card in Abu Dhabi set to find the first challenger to Strickland’s title in the weight class. In unusual circumstances, it is two fighters ranked at welterweight who are getting the opportunity, with former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman stepping in against unbeaten fighter Khamzat Chimaev after number-six–ranked middleweight Paulo Costa was forced out.

Both Usman and Chimaev had mooted a move up in weight, and this booking gives the two a short route to the belt. Usman has never fought at middleweight, while Chimaev has bounced between the two weight classes.

That card will be headlined by featherweight champion Volkanovski, who steps in on 11 days’ notice to challenge for the lightweight title in a rematch against Islam Makhachev. The pair fought in Perth early in 2023, where Makhachev claimed a unanimous decision win.

Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.