When you carry an entire division on your back for years, the weight of greatness can eventually break even the strongest. That’s exactly what happened to former middleweight king Israel Adesanya. Once the undisputed face of the UFC, ‘Izzy’ ruled the 185-pound division with swagger and style. But since his first defeat to Alex Pereira, something changed. The fire dimmed. Three straight losses—to Sean Strickland, Dricus Du Plessis, and Nassourdine Imavov—forced the former champ to step back and reassess.

‘Izzy’ was excited to compete in a non-title fight again after years of ruthless battle. However, the former middleweight champion was knocked out by Nassourdine Imavov in the second round at UFC Saudi Arabia on February 1. After losing his fight, Adesanya took to his X handle to upload a video of him chilling with a caption that read, “As real as it gets.’ – @ufc Rolled the dice…snake eyes I’ll be back, gone to get some milk.” So what’s next for Adesanya?

Adesanya’s coach, Eugene Bareman knows him from that time when ‘The Last Stylebender’ had no money and ask for as small as $20 from the coach. Ahead of Adesanya’s fight against Imavov, the coach had asked the fighter to reminisce those days and go back to that level of work ethic. So, does that mean Adesanya has lost it and the end is near? Even Bareman is in a dilemma.

Losing three fights in a row is tough, especially when you’re one of the best this sport has ever seen. After a string of losses, one begins to question oneself — and according to Eugene Bareman, Adesanya might be going through that. While having a conversation with ‘Combat Tv,’ the host asked for any info about Adesanya, to which Bareman replied, “Izzy is… uh, being—I don’t know what he’s doing next, but that’s a good place to be. Yeah, he’s just doing him.”

He further added, “I don’t know. It’s just—yeah, if he was going to fight again, when he’s going to fight again. If he’s not, then… We’ve been blessed. I’ve been blessed. The world’s been blessed. The team’s been blessed. But it’s… yeah, it’s completely up to him.” Adesanya’s comeback is uncertain as of now, but one aspect is certain, and that’s the fact that the promotion will miss their biggest star if ‘Izzy’ retires from the sport.

When Israel Adesanya arrived at the UFC back in 2018, the MMA community was expecting great things from the former Glory fighter, and he did exactly that.’The last Stylebender’ burst into the MMA scene with style, precision, and a whole lot of smoke in the middleweight division that the fans didn’t know they needed.

Climbing the ranks fast, Adesanya outclassed Brad Tavares, finished Derek Brunson, and outshone the boogeyman of the division, Anderson Silva. However, the defining moment of his career was his knockout victory against Robert Whittaker to unify the middleweight gold. Years have passed since Adesanya made his mark in the UFC, but does he still have it in him?

What’s next for Israel Adesanya after UFC Saudi Arabia?

“Disappointing. My fans, my team — my team feel proud of me because of the work I put into this, but yeah, it’s just the thrill and agony,” said Israel Adesanya after his defeat against Imavov. After his loss against Imavov, the former middleweight champion dropped down to the #4th rank in the division, just below Sean Strickland, Imavov, and Khamzat Chimaev. A title fight is out of the question for the Nigerian fighter, provided that he is riding a fight losing streak.

Khamzat Chimaev and Nassourdine Imavov are the frontrunners to lead the division, while Israel Adesanya will have to fight to maintain his relevance. So, what’s next? According to both fans and the UFC, the next big fight the promotion should book for Israel Adesanya is against the ‘Fighting Nerd’ sensation, Caio Borralho. The Brazilian has called out Adesanya on several occasions, and the fighter is looking to fight for the title as well.

Israel Adesanya should test his skills against the Brazilian who is yet to concede defeat under the promotion. The fight is a win-win for both. If Borralho wins the battle, then he can cement his status as the next big thing, and if Adesanya wins the battle, then he will be the first fighter to defeat the Brazilian under the UFC banner and can take retirement. As uncertainty looms over his career, what are your thoughts on Israel Adesanya? Tell us in the comments below.