Is time catching up with former middleweight champ Israel Adesanya? Coach Javier Mendez and UFC boss Dana White certainly seem to think so.
The Nigerian fighter has been a consistent force in the middleweight division until very recently. In 2020, he reached the rare milestone of 20 straight victories in MMA, defending his UFC Middleweight title in the process.
Having lost the title in 2022 to Alex Pereira, Adesanya got his revenge at UFC 287 the following year. Downing Pereira with a second-round KO, Adesanya became a two-time middleweight champ. Unfortunately, recent fortune hasn’t favored the UFC veteran. He’s winless in his last three fights, having lost his title to Sean Strickland in 2023.
And while his losses have been to esteemed opponents, such as middleweight #1 Nassourdine Imavov and division champ Dricus du Plessis, Adesanya will perhaps be questioning whether he still has the power to roll with the division’s toughest.
Having achieved all that he could’ve dreamed of in the division, Javier Mendez has suggested that Adesanya has either lost his motivation or lost his edge in older age.
“I don’t know if Issy wasn’t motivated, I don’t know, but that’s the first time I’ve seen him get beat, like beat. I’ve never seen him get beat, beat. He was always in the fight. This one he got beat,” said a surprised Mendez to his podcast co-host Mo Azizah. “And I wonder if it’s he’s unmotivated or just the awkwardness. I don’t know, I didn’t talk to him about that.”
“He said that it was because he was fighting too much. He didn’t take a break and even Dana White told him to take a break,” retorted Azizah. “It’s probably true. I don’t know how to explain it. He just got beat.”
Adesanya hasn’t been incredibly active recently, having fought only once each year from 2023 to 2025. And with each of those fights being a loss and pushing him down to #4 in the division, Adesanya will be wondering whether White’s advice to take a break can truly make any difference at this stage.
As Mendez has revealed, his loss to Sean Strickland was the first time that he saw Adesanya lose without putting up a fight. Perhaps this was the point where Adesanya should’ve taken White’s advice and taken an extended break. Now two losses on and two years older, can the UFC reasonably expect Adesanya to recapture that fire?
Mendez & Azizah: More fighters becoming all-rounders means trouble for Israel Adesanya
Adesanya has earned the nickname ‘The Last Stylebender’ for his adaptive striking. However, Azizah and Mendez are questioning whether a versatile striking style is enough to get you wins against the very best in the UFC.
Adesanya has clocked up many KOs and is comfortable going the full distance in a fight. But from his 24 wins, he’s yet to make someone submit. And as Azizah and Mendez point out, the best fighters in the UFC have developed multiple ways to win. It may explain why Adesanya has hit a wall.
“And now we’re finding more people like him [Georges St-Pierre],” noted Azizah. “Ilia Topuria – good everywhere. Islam – good everywhere. Usman.”
“Tom Aspinall – good everywhere,” added Mendez. “Jon Jones – good everywhere. These are great, great fighters. You gotta be good everywhere.”
While Adesanya will argue that he has improved and developed his ground game, his results will suggest that it’s a little too late as he approaches the end of his career. And with his recent ground submission loss to Du Plessis, fans will be questioning whether Adesanya can diversify enough to regain competitiveness.
