Israel Adesanya says he will finish his career in UFC, not boxing
Israel Adesanya has confirmed that he will end his fighting career in the UFC, ruling out a switch to boxing. The former two-time UFC middleweight champion made his stance clear during a Q&A session in Thailand. Despite considering boxing for financial reasons, Adesanya insists his legacy is set in mixed martial arts. He also revealed he is no longer focused on chasing the championship belt.
Match highlights
- Israel Adesanya stated, “For me, my career is going to end in the UFC, I believe. But never say never.”
- He briefly considered boxing after evaluating his financial worth but decided to remain loyal to the UFC.
- Adesanya was dethroned by Alex Pereira at UFC 281, then reclaimed the middleweight belt at UFC 287.
- He has not competed since a TKO loss to Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Fight Night 250 in February 2025, marking his third consecutive loss.
- Adesanya was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in June 2025 for his 2019 fight with Kelvin Gastelum, which was added to the Fight Wing.
