By Anirban Chatterjee
In the storied halls of middleweight greatness, Israel Adesanya carved out his legacy with a blend of striking wizardry and flair that seemed pulled straight from an anime protagonist’s playbook. Robert Whittaker, Yoel Romero, Paulo Costa— you name it, and ‘The Last Stylebender’ had conquered them. However, after losing the belt at UFC 293 and coming up short to reclaim it at UFC 305, the Fight Night main event in Saudi Arabia was supposed to be a fresh start.
But instead of redemption, Izzy was met with a brutal reminder of the unforgiving nature of the fight game. His shocking second-round knockout loss to Nassourdine Imavov left fans and experts stunned. Despite the outcome, Adesanya started the fight strong, looking like his old self. However, everything changed in the second round, though some controversy still lingers over how it unfolded. During the exchange, Adesanya was accidentally poked in the eye by the Frenchman. Moments after the fight resumed, he found himself face-first on the canvas.
So what went wrong? According to Adesanya, it was a matter of positioning. He admitted that being too close to Imavov allowed his opponent to land the decisive shot. The former champion recently attended UFC 312, where he sat alongside his former rival, Alex Pereira. For the uninitiated, the Brazilian was Izzy’s nemesis for a long time and had twice bested him in kickboxing. He seemed to carry those victories like a psychological specter into their UFC encounters.
Their rivalry wrote itself into MMA folklore, with Pereira first dramatically snatching the crown at UFC 281, only for Adesanya to author one of the sport’s most satisfying redemption arcs with a thunderous knockout at UFC 287. However, the tides have turned in 2025 and the former rival duo discussed the fight, with ‘Poatan’ crediting Adesanya for his proactive approach in the opening round. Pereira’s coach Plinio Cruz translated the exchange for ‘Izzy’, and when asked whether his approach was part of a strategy, Adesanya explained:
“Strategy. It was working well but again it’s that when I reset so my distance I came too close. I would never switch that close. Cuz if I switch that close that’s what happens and then he knew what to do. He’s like oh there he is so good game he got me well.”
Adesanya has long been a fan-favorite, and many experts hope to see him return to his winning ways. However, after suffering his third consecutive loss—most recently at UFC Saudi Arabia—some have begun questioning whether his best days are behind him. With growing calls for his retirement, fans are starting to believe that ‘Izzy’ may be past his prime and face an uphill battle in reclaiming the middleweight throne. Despite the doubts, his long-time coach, Eugene Bareman, sees things differently.
Israel Adesanya was once an unstoppable force in the UFC’s middleweight division. His striking was precise, his confidence unshakable, and his reign as champion felt inevitable. But in MMA, no reign lasts forever. Now, Adesanya is facing the toughest stretch of his professional career. Despite his recent setbacks, he remains confident that he’s far from finished—and his long-time coach, Eugene Bareman, shares that belief.
Speaking for the first time since the loss, Bareman sat down with Southern Cross Combat to give his honest take on the fight. “While it lasted, I thought it was brilliant,” he said, praising Adesanya’s early performance. However, he was quick to acknowledge the unforgiving nature of MMA, where a single mistake can end a fight in an instant.
Though the results haven’t been in his favor lately, Bareman remains impressed with the preparation leading up to Adesanya’s recent fight—so much so that he weighed in on what the future might hold. “Depending on what he wants to do, he could probably pull off a couple more fights,” Bareman stated, leaving the door open for a potential resurgence.
Every great fighter faces this moment—the point where time and competition begin to catch up. The question now is whether Adesanya can adapt and evolve or if his reign has already come to an end. How highly do you rate Israel Adesanya as a fighter? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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