Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is reassessing his career trajectory after a devastating defeat at UFC Saudi Arabia.
The Nigerian-born fighter suffered his fourth loss in five bouts, falling to Nassourdine Imavov via second-round knockout on Saturday, February 1, in Riyadh.
Imavov capitalized on an opening, landing a decisive shot that left Adesanya vulnerable before finishing the fight with ground-and-pound. Though Adesanya showed frustration with the referee’s stoppage, officials had little choice, as allowing the bout to continue could have led to a more severe outcome, according to GIVEMESPORT.
Following the loss, which brought his professional record to 24 wins (16 KOs) and five defeats, Adesanya addressed his future in an interview on the UFC post-fight show. While he did not commit to any immediate decisions, including retirement, he acknowledged that he would take time to reflect.
“I have to chill and then think about things,” Adesanya said. “I will relax first for a little bit, just help the teammates who have fights coming up, and yeah, see what I want to. I was going to do that anyway, but you know, now I’m forced to. Shoutout to Nassourdine for that.”
Adesanya, once a dominant force in the middleweight division, ascended quickly to championship status and pursued a second title in another weight class. However, after a meteoric rise, he now finds himself on a downward trend in the rankings. The path back to a title shot remains uncertain.
Expressing disappointment in the outcome, Adesanya noted that he had controlled the first round—according to GIVEMESPORT’s unofficial scorecard—before being stopped early in the second.
Reflecting on the fight, he said: “My team’s still proud of me for the work that I put into this. It’s just the thrill and agony. To be able to feel something so great but also able to feel something so deep and so [frustrating]. It’s a f****** lovely game, but it’s a stupid game at the same time.”
Acknowledging Imavov’s momentous victory, he added: “He must be excited to beat a guy like me. But again, I felt good. Round one, I was in control of everything. In hindsight, maybe I should have taken some time. I just didn’t want him to rest because I knew he was tired.”
Adesanya now faces a critical period in his career, with fans and analysts eager to see what his next move will be.