Former two-time UFC middleweight Champion, Israel Adesanya, has expressed desire to return to UFC despite recent struggles in the sport.
Adesanya made the declaration while attending UFC 314 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, where he was cage-side to support his close friend and training partner, Alexander Volkanovski, in his bid to reclaim the UFC featherweight title.
Volkanovski, who previously held the belt from December 2019 until his loss to Ilia Topuria earlier this year, secured a statement victory over Diego Lopes to become a two-time champion, a moment that visibly moved Adesanya.
“We love Miami. Two-time, baby. Beautiful, man,” Adesanya said after the win. “I’m inspired. I’m very inspired.”
The 35-year-old Adesanya has been under intense scrutiny following a devastating second-round knockout loss to Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Fight Night 250 in Saudi Arabia in February, his third consecutive defeat.
That result sparked widespread speculation that the Nigerian-born fighter may be nearing the end of his career.
Even his long-time coach, Eugene Bareman, hinted recently that retirement could be on the table.
“If he’s going to fight again, then he’s going to fight again,” Bareman said. “If he’s not, we’ve been blessed, I’ve been blessed, the world’s been blessed, the team’s been blessed.”
Despite the uncertainty, Volkanovski’s triumphant performance appears to have reignited the fire in Adesanya, who now seems more motivated than ever to return to action.
Whether or not he steps back into the cage soon remains to be seen, but for now, “The Last Stylebender” has made one thing clear, the spark to compete again is still alive.
