Israel Adesanya, who is fighting sixth-ranked Nassourdine Imavov, is heading into his thirteenth UFC main event after his recent losses to Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis. 1-3 In his last four fights, ‘Izzy’ is not only a two-time middleweight champion; he also went on to fight for the 205-pound belt and holds, to this day, the distinction of being the only fighter to defeat—and knock out—Alex Pereira in the UFC. However, the legacy won’t be able to save him from the cruel fate ahead, according to ‘The American Gangster’.

On his YouTube channel, Chael Sonnen revealed that the next fight against Nassourdine Imavov will severely affect Israel Adesanya’s future in the UFC. But why? Well, that’s because if the #2 ranked middleweight loses to the #6 ranked Frenchman, it would make Dana White and the UFC lose confidence in him. It will also take him further away from title contention.

The former UFC fighter said, “If Izzy loses to Imavov, the career that he has enjoyed is over. He’s already out of title; he’s already off of pay-per-view. I mean, right? It’s just the way that it goes. Meanwhile, if Izzy wins, he could be back in there for a world title. He could be back fighting for a world title, and who knows what Izzy will do with a microphone.”

He further added, “When I share with you that you’re gonna take the highest-paid guy, you’re gonna pull him off a PPV, and you’re gonna put a 5-round contest against a straight-up k-ller, which Imavov is, could you imagine? It’s the test of all tests, if you ask me.” Well, it looks like there is a major test ahead of ‘The Last Stylebender,’ as per Sonnen, but only time will tell if he manages to survive the cruel fate. However, it seems like Israel Adesanya isn’t too worried about the outcome, as he believes that even multiple losses won’t affect his legacy.

Israel Adesanya is confident in his MMA legacy

Regardless of the outcome of his fight at UFC Fight Night 250, Israel Adesanya is confident that his legacy in MMA is secure. ‘The Last Stylebender’ is of the opinion that even a massive losing streak will not affect his legacy and reputation in the Dana White-led promotion at all. The former 185-pound champion stated during the UFC Saudi Arabia media day, “I feel, honestly, God forbid if I lose my next 10 fights, it wouldn’t affect my legacy.”

‘Izzy’ further added, “I put pressure on myself. Don’t get me wrong; when it comes time, I will put pressure on myself. If [Imavov] doesn’t feel the pressure, good on him, but he’ll find out.” Despite his recent losses, Israel Adesanya remains one of the most popular MMA fighters in history. The former middleweight champion made his UFC debut in 2018 and defended his title in the category five times.

But he also has an achievement bigger than that, since the man with the record of 24 wins and four losses is also the only man in the UFC to gift Alex ‘Poatan’ Pereira his only loss in the promotion. This was a major feat that stunned many and also made him a fighter that can never be counted out by fans. So, what do you think? Will Israel Adesanya be able to defeat Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Saudi Arabia? Let us know in the comments.