Former Middleweight Championship Uninterested in Title Chase Upon Eventual Return

Israel Adesanya (24-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) has had a quiet year in 2025. Aside from a Feb. 1 contest versus Nassourdine Imavov (17-4, 1 NC MMA, 9-2 UFC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, “The Last Stylebender” hasn’t set foot in the arena.

Back on the first night of the year’s second month, Israel Adesanya went down in defeat to Imavov by way of second-round knockout 30 seconds into the period in that evening’s main event. No new fights are on the schedule for Israel Adesanya as the calendar shifts to 2026 this coming Thursday, making this ongoing hiatus from competition the longest of his tenure in the UFC.

Adesanya’s second-round knockout loss against Imavov extended his current losing streak to three…