Coach provides update on Israel Adesanya’s return. Israel Adesanya’s coach, Eugene Bareman, has confirmed that the former UFC middleweight champion is back in serious training and eyeing a return to competition. Speaking recently to MMA Fighting, Adesanya’s long-time coach and City Kickboxing leader Eugene Bareman revealed that the 36-year-old is back to twice-a-day sessions and is focused on getting both his body and mind ready for another high-level run.
“The Last Stylebender” has lost three straight bouts, including back-to-back stoppages losses to Dricus du Plessis and, most recently at UFC Saudi Arabia in February, Nassourdine Imavov. Bareman says Adesanya has been back in the gym for several weeks. “Izzy, right now, had, basically, the start of the year off [after the Imavov loss], and he has come back into training in the last couple of months,” Bareman told Submission Radio. “He’s training regularly, so he’s training every day, twice a day. And he needs to prepare his mind and body for a potential fight at the end of this year, and so that’s what he’s doing.”
While Adesanya is back at City Kickboxing getting back into fighting shape, Bareman says that he’s not aware of any matchups the UFC is bringing his way, nor have they spoken about any specific opposition for his pupil.
“As far as opponents, I don’t know,” Bareman said. “Izzy’s got a couple more in him, just give him a fun fight. Give him something exciting. Give him something fun. I haven’t really thought about specific names, [we should] leave it to the fans, I guess.”
Adesanya is coming off a challenging stretch that saw him lose three consecutive bouts, including a stunning defeat to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 in Sydney and another setback in his fight against Dricus du Plessis and Nassourdine Imavov. Despite this, Bareman insisted the former champion is refreshed and motivated to reclaim his spot at the top.
Israel Adesanya hasn’t ruled out a showdown with Sean Strickland, the man who stunned the MMA world by wresting away his title with a dominant decision at UFC 293 in September 2023. Strickland is currently suspended by the Nevada Athletic Commission for storming the cage and attacking a fighter at a Tuff-N-Uff event in June. If UFC present Strickland as the next opponent, Eugene Bareman believes the 36-year-old Adesanya would gladly accept the challenge.
“I think naturally as a fighter, Izzy wants to get that one back,” Bareman explained. “I think that’s just natural. He knows Sean got the better of him, you can’t take nothing away from Sean that night. But I think Izzy, or us as a team, feel that we can definitely put on a better performance against Strickland. But that was his night. Sean got the job done… and he held the title for a little bit, and that was his night.”
If Bareman’s words are any indication, fans can expect Israel Adesanya to return to the Octagon later this year in a fight designed to reignite his career. Whether it’s a rematch with Strickland or a fresh challenge, “The Last Stylebender” appears determined to remind the world why he was once one of the UFC’s most dominant champions.
