“He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare, and he who has one enemy will meet him everywhere.” This quote by American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson rings particularly true in the MMA world, where rivalries and animosities are often key to an athlete’s rise to greatness. Examples like Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor and Daniel Cormier vs. Jon Jones show how such rivalries don’t just elevate fighters—they carve their names into the annals of MMA history.

A similar feud once thrived between middleweight champions Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira, two former Glory kickboxing stars who clashed twice in the UFC Octagon. Before ‘Poatan’ moved to the 205lbs division after their second fight, their rivalry stood at 1-1. However, without a true nemesis, Izzy seemed to lose the sharp edge that had once propelled his career. This shift in his competitive drive was reflected in his shocking setbacks against Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis.

Since losing his strap to ‘Tarzan’ and failing to regain it against the South African, Adesanya has struggled to regain his footing. This decline has raised concerns among MMA analysts, with Chael Sonnen offering his insight on the issue during a recent Good Guy/Bad Guy podcast segment. Sonnen pinpointed the lack of animosity as the core of ‘The Last Stylebender’s’ troubles, stating:

“Israel has to find an enemy. The biggest problem Israel had the night he lost to Sean Strickland was that he wasn’t mad at Sean. It was so evident leading into the fight, and it became even clearer afterward when Dana offered him a rematch, and Izzy said, ‘No, I really don’t want to fight the guy.”

Sonnen’s comments seem to ring true, especially considering Israel Adesanya’s lack of motivation since losing his crown at UFC 293. In the months since, the former champion has fought just once, fueling concerns about his mental state. Sonnen’s co-host, Daniel Cormier, shared these worries, asking, “If there’s no heat and there’s no title, how motivated can he be?”

Israel Adesanya’s honest confession on title loss to Sean Strickland

After Israel Adesanya lost his title to Sean Strickland last year, he took nearly a year off to rebuild his mental confidence. His next opponent was the reigning middleweight champion, Dricus Du Plessis, at UFC 305 in Australia. Du Plessis, who had ended Strickland’s reign just months after derailing Izzy, was set to face the former champion. Ahead of the PPV, Adesanya reflected on his loss to ‘Tarzan’, watching the fight on YouTube to learn from his mistakes. He became emotional as he recalled:

“I got in there, and it felt like a bad dream. The moment he dropped me, he rocked me. I used a wide strike, and he used a straight punch and got to the target first. Boom, I dropped, and he’s wailing on me, punching. Then I realized, hold up, I got to fight. I got back up, but I wasn’t able to just get back into my flow. I’ll say it just wasn’t my night, and I don’t say that as a cop-out. You have to understand, in the story of life, in this game we play, when it’s your time, it’s your time. You maximize it.”

Despite these reflections, Adesanya’s journey hit another roadblock in his fight against Dricus Du Plessis. ‘Stillknocks’ defeated Izzy by submission in the fourth round, marking a result that had never occurred in their previous bouts. Now, the spotlight is on Izzy’s next outing. Can the 35-year-old fighter bounce back from two consecutive losses, this time facing the #5 ranked 185fer Nassourdine Imavov? Share your predictions below.