Israel Adesanya might have lost to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305 but his sportsmanship and spirit showed that he is not giving up that soon. However, as per the adage, the higher you are, the harder you fall. Adesanya did not just fall from the elite levels of MMA. He fell into a limbo where his options just became very limited.

On Saturday in Perth, Du Plessis succeeded in putting the final nail into the coffin of the real African feud between him and his opponent. However, after the match, it was all camaraderie and respect between the fighters backstage. As the UFC ranks are getting updated, veterans and insiders are concerned for ‘The Last Stylebender’s’ future. On the same note, an UFC ex-heavyweight fighter and analyst was asked about his future in the promotion. He said that Adesanya might have to recycle some of his opponents.

Does Israel Adesanya have a future at 185 lbs?

Daniel Cormier was asked about the latest fight that changed the future of both ‘Stillknocks’ and also his opponent. He seemed a little concerned for the Nigerian Kiwi Fighter and spoke about his future. According to DC, Adesanya is in a bad spot right now because it is difficult for a champion like him who has had 12 championship fights in a row since he came into UFC. Incidentally, this was also the first time Adesanya had been submitted in a fight.

He further stated, “It’ll be hard for him to see what he wants to do next because Stan when you defend the belt as many times as The Last Stylebender did, you are beating the vast majority of the guys in the top 10. So it might be recycled opponents for Israel Adesanya. Still, he’s going to have to motivate himself, find that self-motivation to try to work his way back up to a championship opportunity. It’s a big moment for Israel.”

Following the fight, there was a beautiful sight that the fans could see with the duo displaying profound respect for each other. They greeted each other as if they were long-standing friends however Adesanya did address that he was ready for a rematch with Du Plessis.

The champion’s team is also willing to fight Adesanya again if the proposed UFC Africa comes to fruition anytime soon. But it might not all be in either of their hands.

The feud before the fight was pretty heated but after the battle, the Nigerian Kiwi fighter showed newfound respect for his opponent. The grueling four-round fight ended with Adesanya’s submission however he praised his opponent. Meanwhile, now that the feud is over the main question that fans and veterans are asking is about the future of  ‘The Last Stylebender’s’ career.

What is Israel Adesanya’s future in the UFC?

The fighter with a 24-4 record in MMA and 13 -4 at UFC is starting a new chapter in his life. He showed an example of how fast the tide can change in this profession when he suffered his third loss in the past four fights. Even though he was in happy spirits after the defeat he still promised to push forward in his career and had no plans for retirement.

People in the arena were quite scared when he immediately opened his fighting gloves as soon as the fight ended. Some people thought that this might be a sign of his retirement however he said the contrary in the post-fight press conference. Joe Rogan and his comedian friends were scared for a moment as he easily opened his gloves. However, the color commentator said, He might just be taking his gloves off cos’ the fight’s over.” And Rogan was right.

“I’m not f***ing leaving,” was Adesanya’s response after the fight. However, like DC said, he has limited options. Since he already beat the majority of the division as a champion, he will have to get some high-profile rematches. A fight against Khamzat Chimaev would have been the way to go, but the Chechen is fighting Robert Whittaker next.

#1 ranked middleweight Sean Strickland will fight for the title next, as Dana White confirmed last week. So ‘Izzy’s next fight will likely be against the loser of Chimaev vs. Whittaker or the #4 ranked Nassourdine Imavov. Both Chimaev and Imavov would also be fresh opponents for the Nigerian former champion.

From Adesanya’s side, there is a green signal that he will stay. However, the road to another title shot might be an uphill battle as DC confirmed. Do you think ‘Izzy’ can start from scratch at 35?