Adesanya announces his return at UFC 305

Israel Adesanya is back after his recovery period. After losing the middleweight belt twice in 2023, the New Zealander decided to take a break to come back stronger. This Monday, he announced that he would make his return next August.

Adesanya has published on his social networks the confirmation of his return as the star of UFC 305 on August 17, an event that will be held in Perth (Australia). Without Alex Pereira in the category and with Strickland out of the equation, Adesanya will be the challenger in the first defense of Dricus Du Plessis.

Although a few days ago, 'The Last Stylebender' confirmed that he was orchestrating a return where the title is not a priority, his return to the cage will be directly linked to a title fight that could mean the fifth change of hands in less than a year within the middleweight.

An Adesanya like the one before

Adesanya has spent the last few years as a champion ‘tormented’ by his legacy and the ceiling within his category. The almost imperative need to win at all costs meant that his last fights lacked spectacle and became a pure strategic battle and management of the assaults that caused him to lose a lot of popularity.

After two defeats and a move to the background, this year of recovery may have helped Adesanya better manage his ambition and feel freer in his fights. That is why we will most likely see a more entertaining and improved version of one of the most polished ‘strikers’ in MMA.