When will UFC star Israel Adesanya fight again?
One of the company’s most dominant former champions will return to the octagon to recover his middleweight crown. He will be expected to win and repeat his great performances.
The UFC promises to keep entertaining combat sports fans in the second half of 2024. Although fighting icons like Conor McGregor or some of the company’s biggest names like Khamzat Chimaev were forced to pull off from their scheduled fights due to injury and health issues, respectively, the world’s biggest MMA promotion managed to replace them with some other top fights.
One of the greatest mixed martial artists in recent years, Israel Adesanya, is expected to return to the cage after taking 11 months off to mentally disconnect from the UFC and enjoy his time with his family and friends.
After suffering two defeats in less than a year, The Last Stylebender decided to stay away from the UFC and the octagon to recover the motivation and confidence he used to have when he dominated the middleweight division.
When will Adesanya return to the UFC?
Alex Pereira and Sean Strickland figured out Adesanya’s fighting style, a way of fighting that worked perfectly for a long time and allowed him to keep the division’s belt for a long time.
But Adesanya’s effective gameplan strategy became his downfall. His surprising defense, with significant strikes and a lot of distance control, allowed him to control most of his fights, which reflected on the judges’ scorecards but wasn’t as entertaining as fans expected.
The middleweight champion was slowly getting dominated by his ambition to have the greatest legacy in the history of his division. He started doing whatever was necessary to win his fights but lost the support of part of his fans who, after clashes against Cannonier, Vettori, or Romero, started to say Adesanya was boring and too conservative, two adjectives that don’t bring any ‘money’ in the UFC.
Now, Adesanya will try to turn the clock back and impress again as he did in the old days when he returns to the cage UFC 305, on August 17, to take on the current division’s champ Dricus Du Plessis.
Adesanya vs Du Plessis: more than a belt at stake
Although the middleweight title is the most important thing that will be at stake against Du Plessis, the way he performs will also be key for The Last Stylebender.
Controlling the fight won’t be enough for Adesanya, he will have to use his elite counterattack and the former champion will have to prove why he was the category’s king.
If Adesanya can recover the style that allowed him to finish his first 12 fights, the return of one of the company’s biggest stars will be a fact. He is one of the fighters with the greatest ability to put on a show before and after his fights, which, linked to an attractive fighting style, makes the perfect combination for success.