Israel Adesanya Reportedly Has New UFC Opponent After Joe Pyfer Loss
Israel Adesanya is set to return to the octagon after nearly 10 months to attempt to snap his 4-fight losing skid.
Former two-time UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya is set to return to the octagon on Dec. 5 in the main event of UFC Saudi Arabia. The Nigerian-born Kiwi will lock horns with surging middleweight contender Shara Magomedov. Ariel Helwani was the first to report the news.
Israel Adesanya on Skid Ahead of UFC Saudi Arabia
Adesanya is currently on a four-fight losing streak and has been finished in his last three bouts. Following his most recent defeat, a second-round knockout loss to Joe Pyfer, many fans urged the former champion to hang up his gloves.
"The Last Stylebender" isn't ready to call it quits just yet and has vowed to go "again and again." Adesanya said he doesn’t want to be one of those fighters who retire only to make a comeback later. He added that once he walks away from the sport, he will be done for good, but for now, he has no plans to retire.
Shara Magomedov, on the other hand, bounced back from his 2025 loss to Michael Venom Page by securing two consecutive wins. His most recent victory came earlier this year at UFC Baku against Michel Pereira. However, the fight was not without controversy. “Bullet” pulled Pereira's hair when he got taken down and also poked him in the eye.
No points were deducted for either foul by veteran referee Herb Dean, and Magomedov went on to win by unanimous decision.
Israel Adesanya Now Trains With "The Great" and Mauricio Ruffy
It is important to note that Israel Adesanya has left his longtime head coach, Eugene Bareman, and his team at City Kickboxing and now trains alongside current and two-time UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and lightweight contender Mauricio Ruffy.
Whether the change will help "The Last Stylebender" turn his fortunes around remains the question of the hour, and fans will find out when the octagon door closes on Dec. 5.
