Israel Adesanya knows his MMA clock is ticking, but he’s not done just yet. At 36 years old, Adesanya has already built a résumé that guarantees him a place in UFC history.
The two-time UFC middleweight champion has competed at an elite level for years, first as a decorated kickboxer and then as one of the most active champions in mixed martial arts. With more than 100 professional combat sports bouts under his belt, Adesanya understands that the final chapter of his career is approaching.
“Less than 10 [fights],” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel when asked about retirement. “… Who knows? It’s less than 10. It can’t be past 10. So, if I fight now, fight one more time toward the end of the year, that’s two fights. If I do two fights a year, f*ck. Next year, I can still fight. 2028 is where I’ll be like — I don’t know yet. I don’t know. I can’t see past 2027. I don’t think that far ahead at the moment.
“I do glance at it, but I don’t really try and focus on it. I just know I’m on the tail end. I can see the finish line. I’ve been seeing the finish line in the distance, but now it’s closer. But who knows what pace I’ll get there?”
Since joining the UFC in 2018, Adesanya has fought 18 times in eight years — an incredibly active run for a champion-level fighter. Add in his extensive kickboxing career, and the mileage is undeniable. Few fighters sustain that level of activity without eventually feeling the wear and tear.
Still, Adesanya isn’t planning a dramatic farewell tour. When he decides to retire, he says it will be permanent.
“I’m done. There’s more to life than fighting,” Adesanya explained. “I could just be a DJ. … We’ve also got Hollywood knocking on the door. But, again, I’d rather, to be honest, go into EA, Activision, all these video game companies, than do Hollywood. … The whole industry itself, because of streaming and the use of AI and whatnot. Who knows what’s happening there?
“I will do a few movies, I’m sure. One or two. But I’d rather get into some gaming. Not e-sports, me playing, but even like sponsoring a team. I don’t know, something. There’s other avenues. So, when I’m done, I’m done.”
For now, Adesanya remains focused on the present. He returns to the Octagon next month to headline UFC Seattle against Joe Pyfer. The fight carries significant pressure. Adesanya enters on a three-fight losing streak, the toughest stretch of his career, but he believes a resurgence is coming.
“I think he’s a dangerous guy,” Adesanya said of Pyfer. “He’s a dangerous guy because he doesn’t wrap his hands, because he believes he’s got f*cking weapons of mass destruction in his hands. And he might, but I’ll find a way. I always find a way.
“I feel really good. It’s different now. Certain things I can’t share, because I keep sht on the low, but I feel unstoppable. I really feel unstoppable, because everything I’ve done is for this moment in my life. Everything I’ve done in this game has been for this moment in my life now. And now that it’s here, it’s like, fck! I can’t be f*cked with.”
Adesanya may be approaching the finish line, but he’s not slowing down. If anything, he sounds motivated by the urgency.
