Israel Adesanya has made a significant mark on the UFC since his debut in 2018. From UFC 221 to UFC 305, his rise has been nothing short of spectacular, earning him recognition as a two-time UFC middleweight champion. Despite losing two of his last three fights, Adesanya remains a formidable force at 185lbs and his determination is far from diminished.

Izzy is set to return to the Octagon in a non-PPV Fight Night card for the first time in six years. Ahead of this highly anticipated return, Adesanya has taken the time to reflect on his past battles, particularly his loss to Dricus Du Plessis, where he was submitted.

Israel Adesanya reflects on his loss to Dricus Du Plessis

Recently, Israel Adesanya sat down for a candid conversation with his younger brother, David Adesanya. Ahead of his main event bout against Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Fight Night in Saudi Arabia, Israel reflected on his loss to Dricus Du Plessis. During their discussion, David asked, “You came back to fight Dricus, the performance was great, but the fight didn’t go our way. Now that you’ve had more time to process it, does that loss still sting as much as some of your other defeats?”

Israel paused thoughtfully before responding, “Nah, it doesn’t. Just because I did my best, and I was in pretty good shape. I felt great, but there’s always room for improvement. And we’ve made those improvements now.” He then recalled something his brother had said before the camp, “You told me, ‘If you had come into the camp like this, you wouldn’t have lost that fight.’ And I was like, ‘Huh?’ But he said, ‘Yeah, I guarantee it.’ I made a note of that and looking back, I was in great shape for the Dricus fight, but there was still room for improvement. And we’ve definitely addressed that.”

Adesanya calmly debunked the narrative that he wasn’t in top form during his loss to Du Plessis, firmly putting the rumors to rest. The Nigerian Kiwi-born superstar put any rivalry to bed by recently sharing a picture of him and Du Plessis staring each other down before their fight. Adesanya praised the reigning champion with a simple yet powerful message, “GG DDP, GG.” After the heated exchanges surrounding who the “real African” fighter was, it was refreshing to see Adesanya acknowledge his opponent’s victory with respect.

Adesanya took to X to share a heartfelt message, “I’m happy I got to fight again, appreciate all the energy from you. Congrats @dricusduplessis, thank you for your honest words and for speaking your truth. No matter what, Africa won tonight! DDP, you have the torch… light the fire and inspire!” Now, as he prepares for his next challenge against #5-ranked Nassourdine Imavov, Adesanya is unfazed by what some may perceive as a step down in competition.

Israel Adesanya shows his calm demeanor ahead of UFC Fight Night

When Israel Adesanya’s brother asked if he felt strange being on a Fight Night card after nearly six years, Adesanya immediately brushed it off, saying, “Nah, not at all.” He explained, “Someone said that to me yesterday, and I was like, ‘No, I still get paid, you know.’ I still get a referee, there’s two of us in there, there’s a crowd. So it’s not like in the f***ing Apex or something. It doesn’t feel any different.” He continued with a lighthearted tone, “So, yeah, different people are like, ‘Oh my God, must be eating him inside to be on a Fight Night.’ I was like ‘Ew, it’s a Saudi Arabia Fight Night [card].”

While Adesanya isn’t receiving pay-per-view points for this one, he’s still in a high-profile matchup with major implications. His previous 12 outings have all been title fights, and now he’s stepping into a non-title fight for the first time in six years. Despite that, Adesanya remains confident, knowing that a victory here could position him for some of the most intriguing matchups in the division.

Looking ahead, Adesanya revealed that he’s particularly interested in facing Khamzat Chimaev, especially after Chimaev’s dominant win over Robert Whittaker. “I was surprised the way Khamzat ran through [Whittaker], that was crazy. That was like ‘wow,’ that made me want to fight him. I was like okay this guy’s good.”

For Adesanya, Chimaev presents a perfect opportunity to catapult himself back into the title picture. Given Chimaev’s rising momentum and the excitement surrounding a potential matchup, it seems like a fight Adesanya is eagerly anticipating. How do you see Izzy’s career panning out in the future? Tell us in the comment section below!