Israel Adesanya has been garnering quite a lot of attention from the world of mixed martial arts lately. Of course, the prime reason is the heated rivalry the Nigerian-born fighter currently shares with Dricus Du Plessis, as the two get ready to face each other at UFC 305. Adesanya has conquered a special place in the fight fans’ hearts with his previous fights, but little did he know that it would be his former opponent and nemesis, Alex Pereira, who would lead him to retirement. 

Well, that’s what the former mixed martial artist, Brendan Schaub, seems to think as he predicted how Adesanya’s career would proceed. Let’s see what the ex-UFC contender had to say.

UFC insider predicts what the future holds for Israel Adesanya and brings in Alex Pereira

On the 13th of August 2024, Brendan Schaub took to X and shared a clip of his talk show. Therein, the former UFC contender talked about what the future holds for ‘The Last Stylebender’. Needless to say, he first addressed the former 2-time middleweight champion’s upcoming fight against Du Plessis, at UFC 305. 

Schaub claimed that Adesanya would reclaim the UFC middleweight championship title by defeating Du Plessis. He said, “This is how Izzy’s career is gonna go. He’s gonna beat Dricus, he’s gonna outclass him on Saturday. He’s gonna beat the s**t out of him, he’s gonna outclass this dude. It’s gonna be the old vintage Izzy. By old, I mean, a year ago. He’s gonna beat the s**t out of him.“ The UFC veteran continued, “He’s had rest, he’s no longer the hunted, he’s the hunter.”

Schaub then dragged in Sean Strickland, the fighter who snatched the middleweight belt from the New Zealander at UFC 293 via unanimous decision. The ex-fighter continued, “Then he’s gonna fight Sean Strickland and he’s gonna be 100% focused. He’s gonna beat Sean Strickland. Then he’s gonna take a break.”

Finally, Schaub predicted that ‘Stylebender’ would end his career as a professional mixed martial artist by fighting ‘Poatan’ for one last time. This would take place in the light heavyweight division. And Adesanya will try his luck at becoming a double champion, one more time. Schaub said, “And then you’re gonna get Alex versus Izzy at 205. It’s his last fight ever. And his wins over Dricus and Sean Strickland, I think there’s a argument now, makes him the greatest middleweight of all time. That’s how his story ends.”

The fight that’s right around the corner for Adesanya is the one against ‘Stillknocks’. But did you know that a UFC veteran believed the matchup was as big as the one between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov?

UFC veteran claims Adesanya vs. Du Plessis is as big as Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov

Michael Bisping, being a former fighter and a commentator for the UFC, knows trash-talk a bit too well. And the exchange of words at the UFC 305 press conference wasn’t pleasant at all. Weighing in on the heat that’s emanating from Adesanya and Du Plessis’ rivalry, ‘The Count’ claimed, “The buildup between Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya, it’s gonna get nasty. It’s gonna get personal. It’s gonna be on the level of Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov. There were some words said on the microphone.”

With the ‘real African’ debate still raging, ‘The Last Stylebender’ is going to do his best to defeat the current UFC middleweight champion and reclaim his throne. After all, it has come to his honor as a Nigerian fighter. With their honors and the MW belt at stake, the fight at RAC Arena is definitely going to be something that the fighting community won’t forget anytime soon. 

What are your thoughts on Schaub’s predictions on Adesanya’s career? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.