Israel Adesanya recalls a conversation with UFC CEO Dana White that proved remarkably accurate.
Before Adesanya`s title defense against Sean Strickland at UFC 293 in September 2023, White cautioned him that his high level of activity and willingness to fight any opponent might be starting to catch up with him. Adesanya subsequently lost a dominant decision to Strickland, which ended his second middleweight championship reign and marked the beginning of the worst three-fight stretch of his professional career.
Adesanya recounted this exchange on a recent episode of his show, “Young Man Ramble”.
“I was like, `No, I have to fight in Sydney. I must fight. It’s been too long since I’ve competed on this side of the world,`” Adesanya explained. “And then Dana responded, `Listen, kid. You`ve earned plenty of money. Just take a break for a little while.`”
“So I just said, `Nah.` I was stubborn about it, but looking back now, I think maybe Dana was right. Maybe I should have just relaxed,” he reflected. “But honestly, I appreciate these stories. This is how things are meant to unfold. Adversity is a privilege. Amen.“
Since that defeat, Adesanya has struggled to regain his previous form. He had an opportunity to become a three-time champion at UFC 305 but was submitted by rival Dricus du Plessis. Then, in February, he lost his first non-title bout since 2019, suffering a stoppage loss to Nassourdine Imavov.
Now 35, “The Last Stylebender” has made it clear he intends to be more selective about his future bouts, and he hopes a rematch with Strickland is one of them someday.
When asked by guest Sean O’Malley if he still desired a rematch with Strickland, Adesanya replied, “Absolutely. That is definitely on my list. But again, it’s not for anyone else; it`s just for me. My brother kind of revealed some things publicly about my activity and physical state, and while everyone goes into fights carrying injuries, that specific one felt different… I`ve taken the time to heal and prepare, and now I`m only fighting maybe two or three times per year.”
Regarding the Strickland fight specifically, he elaborated, “With the Strickland fight, I just want to be certain that he truly defeated me at my absolute best. If that happens, I’m okay with it.”
