Is Israel Adesanya ready to make his comeback? That’s the question which is on every MMA enthusiast’s mind right now. The UFC middleweight division has seen one of its biggest shakeups in recent years, with rising prospects challenging veterans who are currently in a rough patch. Once feared for putting opponents to sleep, Adesanya has, however, shocked many with his recent struggles.

The Nigerian-Kiwi star has been inactive for several months, and when asked about his return, Israel Adesanya simply stated, “I am retired until they see me on a poster.” The 36-year-old Izzy has lost his last three fights and appears to be in the twilight of his career. At the moment, he ranks sixth in the division, and a title shot seems far away.

Still, Israel Adesanya keeps his ambition alive and wants to “try some risky sh-t” like he used to.

Recent sparring footage, on the other hand, shows he is not ready to return yet. ‘BlondedMMA’ posted a video of Israel Adesanya’s coach Eugene Bareman demonstrating moves to a young fighter in the gym and using Izzy for the demonstration. Things went wrong when the coach’s punch landed on Adesanya’s jaw, and the coach immediately said, “Sorry.”

Although the moment looked lighthearted, a closer look at the Nigerian-Kiwi’s expression shows he didn’t seem fine, coming off his knockout loss to Nassourdine Imavov earlier this year at UFC Fight Night 250. The clip suggests it likely injured the inside of his lower lip and has since gone viral on social media.

Debate & Humor Follow Israel Adesanya Video

Israel Adesanya planned to return last October against Sean Strickland, aiming to avenge his UFC 293 loss, where Strickland stunned the world by defeating him and capturing the middleweight title. However, because of certain reasons the fight got pushed back, and eventually, Strickland chose a different matchup, now set to face Anthony Hernandez at UFC Houston in February 2026.

Now, with no opponent clearly set for Israel, fans understandably showed concern after watching the clip of his chin. “Izzy is one of my favorite fighters I’m literally sad over this,” a fan commented. Adesanya’s next opponent remains unclear, and fans are now debating whether he should continue or retire.

One fan echoed this sentiment, saying, “We were almost sparked unconscious by ‘Eugene,’ maybe we should step away.” Meanwhile, another highlighted Israel Adesanya’s recent comments about wanting to take more risks and fight more stylistically: “He’s talking about he wants to take more risks and do more stylistically recently he’s gonna get brutally KO’d his next fight.”

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Israel Adesanya has also lost to Dricus du Plessis, who became the first fighter to submit him in UFC history, in addition to his losses against Nassourdine Imavov and Sean Strickland. Looking ahead, potential future opponents include Paulo Costa, Robert Whittaker, and Caio Borralho. Yet after seeing the clip, fans didn’t mince words: “This is the most awkward clip ever, poor Izzy.”

Some fans also questioned the coach for throwing such a hard punch, noting that Israel Adesanya hadn’t prepared. One wrote, “Training demos hitting harder than fights now? Poor Izzy.” Currently, Izzy trains under Eugene Bareman at City Kickboxing. In a humorous take, a fan joked about a coach matchup against Alex Pereira. “I’ve seen enough – give him (Eugene) Alex Pereira.”

What’s your take on the fans’ reactions to Israel Adesanya’s latest camp video? Do you think the former two-time UFC Middleweight champion is ready to make his return? Share your thoughts below.