Athletistic/MMA. Former New Zealand UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya says he will be out of the Octagon for longer than expected. According to the 34-year-old athlete, he will have his next fight in the UFC no earlier than 2027.

“I’m getting so many messages and I want to tell everyone that I’m not dead and I’m not retiring. Please calm down, I’m alive! I’ll be back in 2027. See you soon,” Adesanya said in an interview with The MAClife.

On September 9 at UFC 293 in Sydney, Australia, Adesanya sensationally lost by unanimous decision to Sean Strickland and lost the UFC middleweight championship belt. Before that, Israel had two fights against Alex Pereira: first losing to the Brazilian by technical knockout in the fifth round, then eliminating him in a rematch.


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