Last Thursday, Dana White & Co. surprised fans by announcing Israel Adesanya’s return at UFC Seattle. Izzy will face Joe Pyfer in a fight that could redefine his place in the middleweight division. However, this time, the path back does not look easy. For the first time in his career, Adesanya falls behind his opponent and no longer shares a record he once shared with Islam Makhachev and Georges St-Pierre.

Now, riding a three-fight losing streak, the former champion lost consecutive fights to Nassourdine Imavov, Dricus du Plessis, and Sean Strickland, bouts in which fans once backed him as the favorite. Each defeat chipped away at his aura and forced oddsmakers to revise their predictions after every fight. Now, as he is ready to step into the Octagon, Israel Adesanya no longer carries the fan-favorite mantle.

Israel Adesanya enters UFC Seattle no longer as the favorite

Like Georges St-Pierre, one of the greatest welterweights of all time, the Nigerian-Kiwi rarely entered a fight as the underdog. Even Islam Makhachev, following the path of his predecessor Khabib Nurmagomedov, has never faced underdog status in his career. Now, Israel Adesanya, widely regarded as one of the best middleweights of the modern era, faces the first true underdog moment of his UFC journey. Betting lines for UFC Seattle opened with him at a pick’em of -110.

However, within hours, bettors poured more money on Joe Pyfer, pushing Pyfer to -132 and making Adesanya the slight underdog at +112. As a result, the latest odds give Izzy only a 47 percent chance of winning, while Pyfer now carries a 57 percent chance. Earlier in his career, before his fight against Robert Whittaker, Adesanya opened as a slight underdog but won over the fans and became the favorite.

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This time, however, the odds and public sentiment work against him. Despite that, Israel Adesanya focuses less on winning and more on enjoying the fight. “For me, it’s not about belts anymore,” Adesanya explained. “I’ve got two shiny belts at home. They look good. But I just want to fight. I just want to do things like I did on the way to the belt.”

Now 36, Israel Adesanya approaches the final chapter of his legendary career. He has made it clear that he will retire as a UFC fighter and will not pursue other stints in boxing like some former UFC stars, such as Anderson Silva or Ben Askren. However, the New Zealander sets one condition for stepping into the boxing ring.

Only a single person can afford to face Adesanya in the ring

Boxing has long served as a second home for many MMA stars after they finish their careers. Fighters like Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal have already tested the waters in the ring. While a boxing match could offer a lucrative opportunity for ‘The Last Stylebender’, he prefers not to pursue a career in boxing after he retires from the UFC. Additionally, he believes that if he ever returns to boxing, only one person can truly afford him: Saudi promoter Turki Alalshikh.

“Everyone has a number, and I think I got to my number two months ago. I was like, you know what? It’s really high. I don’t think anyone – maybe Turki (Alalshikh) can afford it, but nah, I think Darren [Till] is just doing his thing outside the UFC so, I’m just going to finish my career at the top in the UFC,” Israel Adesanya said at Bangtao Muay Thai and MMA Gym Q&A session.

With his legendary career behind him, how do you rate Israel Adesanya’s legacy? Do you think the Nigerian-Kiwi star should step into the boxing ring if he retires from the UFC? Drop your thoughts and advice in the comments below.