Israel Adesanya is at a crossroads in his career after suffering his third consecutive loss. This time he was knocked out by Nassourdine Imavov in UFC Saudi Arabia’s main event The former middleweight champion who was once seen as nearly unbeatable now faces tough choices about what comes next.
Bisping Believes Adesanya’s Reign Is Over
UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping who knows firsthand how hard it is to stay at the top believes Adesanya’s time as a champion is over.
“The biggest takeaway is that it’s over” Bisping said on the UFC Saudi Arabia post fight show “Israel Adesanya’s reign as champion I don’t think will come again”
Bisping made it clear that his comments come from a place of respect rather than criticism “I say that with the greatest of respect and I truly mean that An original An incredible fighter A legend of the sport A future Hall of Famer But his time at the top is done”
Adesanya has already secured his legacy in the sport He held the UFC middleweight title for three years and successfully defended it five times Even after losing to longtime rival Alex Pereira in 2022 he came back and delivered an unforgettable knockout in their rematch.
“The career that he’s had is legendary but more importantly the man’s an original” Bisping said
“The man is unique Yes we’ve seen great kickboxers and we’ll see more great kickboxers but the people that have the flare the charisma did they put on the show that Israel Adesanya does From the walkouts to the post fight speeches that we saw when he beat Alex Pereira and that gives you chills I will never forget that Everybody remembers watching that for the first time Doing the breakdancing on the way out the whole light show and all the rest of it”
Adesanya’s impact on the sport goes beyond his record His performances inside and outside the cage made him one of the biggest stars in UFC history Bisping acknowledged that.
“Yeah OK the knockouts are memorable they’re incredible they’re amazing right When you combine it with everything else I mean the man’s an absolute superstar He really is Of course the second best middleweight of all time without a shadow of a doubt He’ll say the No 1 but that’s what we do We’re fighters We’ll always say that we’re No 1”
Nassourdine Imavov knocks out Israel Adesanya at UFC Fight Night 250 in Saudi Arabia.
pic.twitter.com/ge5SKo79U0— No Jumper (@nojumper) February 1, 2025
The Toll of a Long Career
At 35 years old Adesanya has been fighting at a high level for more than a decade Between his time in MMA and kickboxing his body has taken a lot of damage Bisping pointed out how that can affect a fighter’s ability to stay at the top.
“When you do this at the highest level you train accordingly that’s what takes its toll on the body Yes he’s taking some lumps and bumps inside of the octagon He took one tonight But that combined with the years and years of training to get to this level that’s the problem That’s the issue”
What comes next for Adesanya is unclear but there is no doubt that he has already left a lasting mark on the sport Whether he continues to fight or decides to step away his place in UFC history is secure.
