Unlike many of his compatriots in the UFC, Israel Adesanya does not see himself doing exhibition boxing after he retires. The former middleweight champion knows he only has a few years left in him. When he had started out, he wanted to be out of the game at 34. Now, at 35, ‘The Last Stylebender’ knows he can’t keep this up forever though and he is already planning a life after the UFC.
Speaking to ith Andrew Schulz on his podcast, the former UFC middleweight champion claimed he had already visited the idea of retired fighters having exhibition boxing matches against other retired fighters or YouTubers for money, something Izzy is facing a lack of at the moment.
So he is simply not interested. Unless, of course, the bag’s insanely big!
“Nah hell no hell no, maybe some wrestling maybe…..I mean, f*ck 20 million bro, I’ll pray on it….But we’ll see but I just don’t think anything.”
But Izzy already has other successful and better avenues to keep making money, the bag would have to be hulkish in nature
Fans, however, can expect him to go the Demetrious Johnson route and get into some good old-fashioned Jiu-Jitsu tournaments though.
But before any of that, ‘The Last Stylebender‘ might have to run it again with the middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis. Hopefully, if and when that time comes, he doesn’t repeat the mistakes of the past.
Adesanya’s costly mistake against DDP
Adesanya fought a really good against the South African but then decided to point to the ground in the 4th round, but it was this one mistake that ended the fight. Adesanya now sorely regrets it.
While onlookers thought that he was doing the Max Holloway gesture, and asking for a brawl, Adesanya claims he tripped on the floor as the South African upped the pressure. He felt he needed to point to the floor to let everyone know it was the canvas and not Du Plessis.
This was the mistake that cost him.
“In that moment right there, I shouldn’t have. Just stay focus on the task at hand….This time it got done to me….In that moment I lost focus and that was it for me.”
Well, all that is in the past now. If Izzy wants to be back at that spot again, all he has to do is win a couple of good fights. Easier said than done but Adesanya has beaten worse odds before.
