Israel Adesanya is ready to Rock N Roll.
Adesanya hasn’t fought since losing his middleweight title to Strickland at UFC 293 in September, following which he talked about taking a hiatus from MMA until 2027. However, he later took a U-Turn on his statements.
In an interview with Teddy Atlas on his YouTube channel, Izzy shared that injuries and mental reasons led to him making an impulsive announcement, but now he feels like he’s back on track.
“I had my headphones in and I started shadowboxing. I’m looking in the mirror and I caught myself because I don’t realize I’m in it,” Adesanya said. “Then I start looking in my eyes and I can see my jaw clinch, and it’s like ‘F***, I missed the beast’. Even just talking to you now, I’m almost perspiring. Not just the heat, but I’m getting excited about the fight.
“I can feel it now. I said I was taking a break right, when I said that, people were responding to me like, I’m not dying. I’m still here, I’m not retiring, I’m here, I’m just taking a little break. Look, four fights in the last fourteen months as champion, active. Also, I have some things I need to fix. Me and [Alexander Volkanovski], we’re the two most active champions in UFC history. I missed the beast. I know it’s there, but just chill, and put it in the stable for now. Just work, and I’ll help my teammates when I get back home and whatnot. But, it’ll get to the point when I come back, I can’t wait to unleash it again. But in the meantime, patience.”
Who do you think Israel Adesanya should fight next?
