Whether it was choreographed dance entrances or elaborate knockout celebrations, Israel Adesanya brought a different type of excitement to the UFC’s middleweight division during his title reign.
Since dropping the title to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 in September 2023, Adesanya (24-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) gets a “boring” vibe from his division.
“The Last Stylebender” returns to action against Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Fight Night 250 on Feb. 1 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (ESPN+). Adesanya will enter his first non-title fight in six years against an opponent in Imavov (15-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC) who keeps a low profile, unlike his recent opponents such as Strickland and current champion Dricus Du Plessis, who rarely shy away from a hot mic.
“It’s always good to mix things up, but again, this is just fighting,” Adesanya told MMA Junkie. “It’ll be pretty boring in the lead up to this fight for the fans that like that kind of stuff, but the fight’s gonna be very exciting. That’s the sauce in this one.”
Adesanya, 35, failed to recapture the middleweight throne at UFC 305, losing by submission to Du Plessis. For the first time in his MMA career, Adesanya has lost back-to-back fights, which puts him in a bit of unfamiliar territory.
“For me, it’s just proving to myself that I’m still that dude,” Adesanya said. “I know I’m one of the best, if not the best. I still feel like I’m improving and I see the work that I do. I feel the work that I do, and I just want to show the world the work that I’m doing.”
The fight kicks off a busy month for the UFC’s middleweight division. A host of key names are in action that could shake up the entire division. With matchups such as Du Plessis vs. Strickland 2 for the title, Jared Cannonier vs. Gregory Rodrigues, Michael Page vs. Shara Magomedov and Anthony Hernandez vs. Brendan Allen, the division Adesanya once ruled could look vastly different by March.
“I didn’t know that all those other fights were in the month of February,” Adesanya said. “But yeah, exciting times for 185. But to be honest, 185 feels boring without me. So yeah, I want to go in there and just make it interesting.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 250.
