Adesanya Says He’ll Fight Again After UFC 305 Loss
In October 2024, Israel Adesanya said he was willing to fight again without insisting on an immediate title bout after challenging defending middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 305. Adesanya later returned against Nassourdine Imavov in February 2025 and Joe Pyfer in March 2026; Pyfer stopped him by strikes at 4:18 of round two.
The Comeback Mindset
His remark that he would “rather just fight” reflected his stated preference at the time, not a confirmed booking. The former champion had previously defended the title five times in his first reign and regained it once in 2023.
A New Chapter
Adesanya’s comments signaled he was open to a non-title bout after his loss, though he had fought contenders and rivals outside title bouts earlier in his career. His next scheduled opponent was not announced in the original report.
The Road Ahead
Adesanya did return, but not on a quick turnaround: he lost to Imavov by second-round TKO in February 2025, then to Pyfer by second-round TKO in March 2026.
Impact on the UFC Landscape
Adesanya’s standing in the division has changed since the 2024 comments. After the UFC 305 title loss, he lost to Nassourdine Imavov and Joe Pyfer. Those results should be considered alongside his earlier championship run when assessing his current title prospects.
What This Means for Fans
For fans, the 2024 comments showed Adesanya intended to continue competing even if a title was not immediately available. His later bouts came in February 2025 and March 2026; there is no guarantee of a particular future schedule.
The 2024 report captured Adesanya’s stated desire to keep fighting after losing the belt. His later record includes losses to Imavov and Pyfer, with Pyfer’s March 2026 TKO the most recent result available in the UFC’s official records.
Sources: UFC 305 results; UFC Seattle official results; MMA Junkie’s original report on Adesanya’s 2024 comments
