Although last year he traded punches and kicks for DJ consoles, Israel Adesanya insists that he is motivated to continue his career in the UFC, denying suggestions that he is in his final stage as a professional martial artist.
Adesanya will make his return after a 13-month absence from the UFC, in Seattle this weekend. The Nigerian-born, but naturalized New Zealander fighter, will face Joe Pyfer in the main middleweight event at the Climate Pledge Arena.
This will be Adesanya’s second consecutive appearance on a Fight Night card, after a streak of 14 appearances on pay-per-view events, in 12 of which he was half of the main event. Despite a drop in the event’s profile, the former middleweight champion insists that he remains as motivated as ever to perform.
“Not really, no, I actually prefer it,” Adesanya said this week when asked if he had energy problems away from the pay-per-view spotlight. “Yes, I like the big lights, but the lights are still bright here.”
Israel Adesanya“Just because it’s a Fight Night, I mean it’s still the same job, the deal with Paramount has just been signed, which means TVNZ (the rights holders in New Zealand) can finally watch this for free, and not just on Sky (pay-per-view), so there are a lot more eyes on me now at home. So, yeah, I’m really happy with that. And I like a quiet fight week, and then, on fight night, the lights are still the same.”
UFC fans who don’t follow Adesanya on social media, nor interact with his popular YouTube channel, FreeStylebender, have probably wondered what the 36-year-old fighter has been doing in his year-long absence from the octagon.
He has been a constant presence at City Kickboxing in Auckland, helping to prepare his teammates for their own fights, including Carlos Ulberg, who will seek the gym’s second UFC belt against Jiří Procházka for the light heavyweight title at UFC 237 on April 11. Adesanya has also taken the time to dedicate himself to other passions.Israel Adesanya no está listo para entrar en el ‘capítulo final’ de su carrera en la UFC, diciendo que todavía ama la sensación de ‘ganar’
Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC“Just doing things outside of fighting that I like, just focusing on myself,” Adesanya said. “I started a festival, became a DJ for a while, and yeah, just getting back to work now… a lot happens in a year, and it was good to just, you know, express myself in more ways than fighting.”
“Launched Afro Soul, played at my own festival, headlined by Burner Boy, and we’re going to do another one this year around the same time, so it was good for me to prove that I’m more than just fighting.”
Is the flame still there to compete, to strive in the same way that made him the second most dominant middleweight of all time?
“I don’t know if it’s my final chapter, it’s in the final part of my career, but it’s definitely not my final chapter… it’s easy to have those thoughts (of retirement), but not me.”
“I could just give up and do whatever I feel like. Like even this DJ thing, I could have milked it for what it’s worth. But no, I just have these skills and these tendencies that I have to express through controlled violence.”
Despite his unwavering confidence, the fact that Adesanya is on a three-fight losing streak cannot be hidden. After regaining the middleweight belt from Alex Pereira, Adesanya has suffered defeats against Sean Strickland, Dricus Du Plessis, and Nassourdine Imavov.
Adesanya dismissed suggestions that he might have lost focus or simply not have worked to stay at the top of the division, instead, he pointed to his long career in combat sports as the reason why he wasn’t at his best.Israel Adesanya está en una racha de tres derrotas consecutivas, la última de las cuales fue contra Nassourdine Imavov en febrero de 2025
Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
“There are always levels, you can always improve at anything in life,” he said. “I had to take a step back and let my body rest, let my mind rest, because again I was very active, which a lot of people wouldn’t do in my position. So yes, just letting the body rest, letting the mind rest and heal. After doing that, we just rebuilt the body, made it bulletproof, and now I can express that soon.”
Israel Adesanya
In a sign of how Adesanya has slipped in the UFC’s middleweight mantle, Pyfer is the lowest-ranked opponent the New Zealander has faced since he fought Marvin Vettori (then unranked) in 2018.
“A complete opponent, very dangerous, but I’m looking to knock him out,” Adesanya said about Pfyer. “Like I said, I have these tendencies, and I want to express them through controlled violence, and he is the recipient of this this time.”
Another defeat this weekend will only further fuel questions about Adesanya’s future. Conversely, a victory could open an unlikely path back to a third UFC title. For now, however, Adesanya does not dare to look beyond Pyfer.
“I just want to do well, because when I act, I show up,” he said. “So yes, I’m going to go in and show off like I normally do, like when I’m free.”
“I miss the feeling of winning. I don’t need it, but I want it, and I’m going to get what I want.”
