What is next for Israel Adesanya? This is one of the biggest question marks in MMA right now. The former 2-time UFC middleweight champion had a dramatic fall after dropping the belt at UFC 293. Currently on a 3-fight losing skid, there are legitimate concerns about whether ‘The Last Stylebender’ is considering calling it a career after reaching the epitome of the UFC twice.

Numerous UFC veterans bid farewell in 2025, but if you’re wondering whether Israel Adesanya is on that list, you must know that his days are far from over. In fact, the former 2-time champ has changed his mindset regarding the approach to his career. Here’s what he had to say.

A bit more freedom for Israel Adesanya

Things weren’t looking good for Israel Adesanya after his third loss. So, there were concerns. But he claims to have been fed up with people approaching him and asking him about his career, so he cryptically responds to them. But to clear the air, he admitted that he’s not done throwing down fisticuffs just yet. Adesanya emphasized just getting inside the Octagon and staying active, without thinking about championships.

“At first, I used to have to explain myself, like, ‘Nah, [I’m not retired] I’m just taking a break. I’m doing other things.’ But now, I just go, ‘Yeah, I’m retired,” Israel Adesanya stated during a fan Q&A session at Bangtao Muay Thai gym in Thailand. “For me, it’s not about belts anymore. I’ve got two shiny belts at home. It looks good, but I just wanna fight.”

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There are no stakes on the line, so he has decided to rediscover himself and try things that otherwise would be “risky.” The title scene is already stacked with certain high-implication fights already booked for upcoming events.

While he hasn’t mentioned anything about how long ‘Izzy’ thinks he’s got left in the tank to continue fighting, he did promise a more creative version or a younger version of himself the next time he gets inside the Octagon. Maybe he tries to, in Dustin Poirier‘s words, “jump the gilly,” as he did against Brad Tavares? Who knows?

“I just wanna do things like I did on my way to the belt. I still fought really well when I was defending the belt, but I wanna fight more freely and try risky sh-t like I used to,” Adesanya added. “Remember the Brad Tavares fight?… I wanna try sh-t like that again.”

Israel Adesanya has many exciting rivalries to explore when he comes back. However, one rivalry that he’s never going to re-ignite is the one with Alex Pereira. The former 2-time champion has also shed light on his most legendary rival.

Adesanya puts the Alex Pereira rivalry to bed

One of the most iconic rivalries in recent memory has been Alex Pereira vs Israel Adesanya. Their rivalry has transcended combat sports, one that started during their kickboxing days and continued into their MMA run in the UFC. While it might be an interesting choice to go back and revisit that, ‘Izzy’ has no plans to do so. In fact, Adesanya is hoping for the best when it comes to Pereira and hopes that he goes on an unbeaten run for a long time.

“For me, it was never really about him. It was always about me. I knew technically I’m the only one to hurt this man multiple times. I knew I could always touch him,” Israel Adesanya further stated. “I’m so proud of what he’s doing now, two-time light heavyweight champ, now he’s back on top… I hope he never loses. I hope he retires undefeated, because I always knew.”

Well, now it’s all about the new rivalries for Israel Adesanya. It will be interesting to see how his risk-taking approach pans out as well. However, we’ve yet to hear from Dana White regarding his return, but let us know your thoughts on whom you want to see Adesanya fight. Drop your comments below.