After suffering his first middleweight loss and losing his title to Alex Pereira in November 2023, Israel Adesanya sought immediate revenge. He achieved this redemption five months later at UFC 287 in Miami with a brutal knockout of his longtime rival, seemingly poised for another dominant run.
However, the unexpected future results were foreshadowed by concerns from UFC CEO Dana White.
Dana White Cautioned Adesanya Against Quick Return at UFC 293
Speaking on his `Young Man Ramble` podcast with guests Sean O’Malley and Tim Welch, Adesanya reflected on the downturn in his career that began after the Pereira rematch. Just five months after regaining the title, he suffered a shocking upset loss to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 in Sydney, Australia.
This quick turnaround followed a period of high activity and fueled speculation about potential burnout.
Adesanya revealed that immediately after his win over Pereira, Dana White had advised him to take a break.
Adesanya recalled saying, “Nah, I have to fight in Sydney. I haven’t fought on this side of the world in so long.”
He recounted White’s response: “Dana was like, ‘Listen, kid, you’ve got enough money, just chill out for a while.’ … I was like, ‘Nah,’ and I went all stubborn.”
Looking back, Adesanya admitted, “In hindsight I’m like, maybe Dana was right, maybe I should have just chilled.”
Three Consecutive Losses Followed Adesanya`s Win Over Pereira
The surprising defeat to Strickland marked the first of three consecutive losses for Adesanya since his decisive knockout victory against ‘Poatan’.
Recognizing the need for rest, `The Last Stylebender` took an 11-month break from competition following the Strickland fight before returning directly into another title opportunity.
However, the highly anticipated grudge match against Dricus du Plessis in August 2024 also ended in defeat for Adesanya, who was submitted in the fourth round of the competitive main event.
Most recently, at UFC Saudi Arabia in February 2025, Adesanya suffered a TKO loss to Nassourdine Imavov – the first time he`d been stopped by strikes by an opponent other than Alex Pereira.
After a strong first round for Adesanya, Imavov rocked him and secured the stoppage in the second round.
While his next step remains uncertain, the UFC star has dismissed any talk of retirement.
`The Last Stylebender` has expressed a clear desire to rematch Sean Strickland, aiming to settle the score from their frustrating encounter two years prior.
Rupert Hartwell