UFC Saudi Arabia – The Shackles Are Off For Adesanya

When Israel Adesanya (24-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) makes the walk to the Octagon this weekend to face Nassourdine Imavov, it will be the first time in almost 6 years that fans will see him take part in a non-title fight in the UFC.

Not since he beat UFC legend Anderson Silva back in Febraury of 2019 has “The Last Stylebender” taken part in a bout that didn’t have a belt on the line, a spell spanning 12 fights in 2 different weight classes.

Just two months after the win over Silva, Adesanya beat Kelvin Gastelum to win the UFC interim middleweight title, and he followed that up by unifying the belts when he knocked out Robert Whittaker at UFC 243 later that year.

Israel Adesanya’s Dominant Reign

He ruled the roost at 185 lbs over the following 3 years, even finding time for a side quest when he faced Jan Blachowicz for the light heavyweight title in March of 2021.

Despite coming up short on that occasion, he defended his middleweight strap 3 more times before eventually losing to former Glory kickboxing rival Alex Pereira.

He won the belt back in an immediate rematch before losing it again to Sean Strickland in September of 2023 before stepping away from the Octagon for almost a year.

An immediate title shot against new champion Dricus Du Plessis upon his return proved unsuccessful and now 6 months later Adesanya looks to bounce back, carrying the air of a man relieved to be fighting outside of the UFC title conversation.

“I feel free in this fight because, you know, I’m just trying to make highlights” he said to fellow fighter Michael “Venom” Page during an informal fight week chat on his YouTube channel. “Everyone is like, “I hope you get the belt back” and I’m like, “Nahhh…I don’t need to”….I just want to be free”.

The End Of An Era

Many dominant UFC champions down the years have looked somewhat relieved once they’re finally knocked off their perch at the top of the sport.

Both Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva expressed their relief once their title reigns came to an end, and Adesanya’s demeanour of late suggests he may be in that same boat heading into UFC Saudi Arabia this weekend.

He recently linked up with Robert Whittaker, who he twice fought for the UFC title (in 2019 and 2022) and the pair have apparently become good friends and training partners.

Adesanya also revealed this week that he would be open to also training with current 205 lb champion Alex Pereira, with whom he shared a heated rivalry with which spanned 4 fights across both their kickboxing and MMA careers.

The question now is, will Adesanya’s fresh outlook on his career result in him taking more risks inside the Octagon this weekend?

One criticism the former champion faced regarding his long title reign was that he fought a little too conservatively at times.

Anyone who watched Adesanya fight back in his kickboxing days will remember a showman who fired off extensive combinations and became known for pulling off a series of spectacular knockouts.

It’s not clear if the more patient, calculated approach we have witnessed in recent years was down to the threat of the takedown or simply Adesanya feeling overly cautious about losing his UFC middeweight title.

This Saturday should tell us a lot about where the former champion’s mind is at.

Paul Browne

Paul Browne is a professional mixed martial arts commentator, feature writer and podcaster based in Dublin, Ireland.