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Israel Adesanya Closes Pereira Chapter, Signals Risk-Taking Return Without Chasing Belts

In a Thailand Q&A, he cast his hiatus as a low-pressure “retirement” that precedes a comeback on his terms rather than a title push.

Overview

  • Adesanya said his rivalry with Alex Pereira is finished, expressed pride in Pereira’s light heavyweight success, and wished him an undefeated run.
  • He emphasized that future fights will not be about belts, vowing to compete more freely and experiment with riskier techniques such as the Imanari roll.
  • The former middleweight champion remains on an indefinite break after three straight losses, most recently a February 2025 TKO defeat to Nassourdine Imavov, with no return date booked.
  • He rated his 2020 knockout of Paulo Costa as his cleanest and most satisfying UFC performance, ahead of his 2023 revenge KO of Pereira.
  • Reflecting on his kickboxing past, Adesanya criticized his experience with Glory, saying he felt he was denied a world title, while acknowledging the promotion raised his profile.