Former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is eager to win back the title when he rematches his nemesis Alex Pereira at UFC 287 in April, but looking further into the future the star has started to envisage a time when he’s not competing in the Octagon any more.
“I’ve been in the UFC five years, right? If I’m being honest, I’m not gonna be here in five years,” Adesanya told reporters at UFC 284. “I have other things to do in life.”
“I love this sh*t and I’m f*cking great at it but I never attach myself to this and I’m gonna leave on top. So yeah, that’s the best way I feel like you should leave. But again, I’ve been here five years in the UFC, (snaps fingers) it went like that. We’ll see how long I’m here for but I don’t think it’s gonna be five years.”
It’s often disconcerting when a fighter starts talking about retirement, even if it’s still a long way off, but it’s understandable in Adesanya’s case as he’s currently 33-years-old, and in addition to his 25-fight MMA career he has also amassed over 80 fights in the kickboxing arena over the past 12-years.
That’s already far more fights than most fighters pack into their entire career’s, so when he does finally decide to hang up his gloves for good his retirement will have been well-earned.
