Israel Adesanya was hoping for a big turnaround at UFC Seattle. Clinging on to a three-fight losing streak, the former middleweight champion seemed motivated enough to topple Joe Pyfer. Now, while the result turned out to be contradictory, Adesanya still showcased the spark to come back again. But for fans, that’s concerning!

“I’m not f*cking leaving,” said Adesanya during the UFC Seattle octagon interview. “You’ll never stop me. I might get beaten, but I will always remain undefeated.”

For those who missed out on the action on Saturday night, the Climate Pledge Arena was all buzzing to witness the middleweight clash between Israel Adesanya and Joe Pyfer. While Adesanya eyed a turnaround, ‘Bodybagz’ had an opportunity to upset the former champion. And that’s exactly what he did.

The bout started very cautiously from both fighters. Adesanya, with his steep jabs and leg kicks, controlled the first round. But in the second round, Pyfer found more success in close exchanges. With just a minute left on the clock, ‘Bodybagz’ caught Adesanya with a right hook that rocked him.

That sequence eventually led to a takedown from which Pyfer transitioned to mount and took Adesanya’s back. The former middleweight champion had nothing to defend from that point as referee Herb Dean intervened to stop the fight. It marked Adesanya’s fourth consecutive loss in his recent UFC career.

Before Pyfer, Adesanya fell short against Nassourdine Imavov, Dricus du Plessis, and Sean Strickland. The bout against Alex Pereira at UFC 287 in 2023 was the Nigerian-born Kiwi fighter’s last victory. Concerning? Maybe, maybe not.

While speculation arose about a potential retirement, ‘The Last Stylebender’ is just not ready to give up. But fans contradicted that sentiment, while sharing their reactions post-Adesanya’s UFC Seattle defeat.

Fans react to Israel Adesanya’s “no retirement” plan

One fan chimed in and drew a comparison between Israel Adesanya and Tony Ferguson. “Izzy on the road to Tony Ferguson retirement route,” the fan wrote. Ferguson, who was once the most feared lightweight, bowed out of UFC following a very disappointing eight-fight losing streak. And fans seemingly don’t want the same for Adesanya.

Not only that, but the netizens also remembered how former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva had a similar streak before leaving the promotion. As such, in his last nine UFC fights, ‘The Spider’ won only once, ultimately tampering with his reputation, which he earned by winning 15 back-to-back bouts.

“Hope this doesn’t become a repeat of Anderson Silva,” the user commented. However, apart from that, the majority of the fans online just wanted Adesanya to opt for retirement before the losing streak becomes a disappointing record. “Knowing when to hang it up is just as powerful as resilience,” a fan wrote.

Another fan also shared similar thoughts and wrote: “Baba, you need to retire, you don’t have the strength and power to compete anymore, except you are there because of the money.” But amid that, there were also a few who still believe ‘The Last Stylebender’ has that potential in him to rise back up.

“It was just a bad decision Izzy made. I still don’t think he’s washed. Izzy was winning the fight until he decided to fight up close instead of using his distance, which he’s known for,” a netizen explained. And lastly, some also highlighted the age factor, which might take a toll on Adesanya’s performance and confidence.

“4 straight losses, soon to be 37 years old. Time to let it go,” the user commented. So, the opinion on Adesanya’s retirement might be subjective. But the majority of the fan base believes ‘The Last Stylebender’ should ride off into the sunset before potentially hampering his records further.

However, although Adesanya lost in his last four bouts, he outclassed the likes of Joe Pyfer, Nassourdine Imavov, and Dricus du Plessis in the striking department.

So, this might leave one, especially fans, to wonder if Adesanya still has that quality in him? Does he? Let us know in the comments below!