3 reasons why Israel Adesanya should retire - and 2 reasons why he should continue to fight
This past weekend at UFC 305, Israel Adesanya failed to reclaim the middleweight title from Dricus du Plessis. Following his loss, Adesanya stands at a crossroads.
The big question is now this: should Israel Adesanya continue to fight in the UFC, or would he be better off hanging up his gloves now?
As always, there are fair points on both sides of this argument, leaving 'The Last Stylebender' with a lot to ponder in the upcoming months.
Here are three reasons why Israel Adesanya should retire - and two reasons why he should continue to fight.
#3 Israel Adesanya should not want to become the next Anderson Silva
When Israel Adesanya debuted in the UFC back in 2018, many fans tipped him to follow in the footsteps of another flashy striker who became a legend, Anderson Silva.
The promotion also seemed happy to push this angle too, and even matched Adesanya against an ageing Silva in 2019, with 'The Last Stylebender' winning in a passing of the torch moment.
When Adesanya then claimed the middleweight title that 'The Spider' had once held later that year, it felt like the comparisons were definitely worthy.
At this stage, though, 'The Last Stylebender' seems to be following in Silva's footsteps in a more worrying way.
Silva famously lost his middleweight crown to Chris Weidman in the summer of 2013, and after breaking his leg against 'The All American' in a rematch, he was never the same again.
As he aged, the legendary Brazilian's reflexes, speed and durability waned, and his career ended on a sad note, with a run of one win, one No Contest and seven defeats.
Adesanya is not quite as old as Silva was once his decline began, but based on his losses to Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis, there are definitely some parallels.
'The Last Stylebender' no longer seems to have the wicked timing that allowed him to slice his foes up on the counter, and what was once a legendary chin seems to have been cracked now too.
Given that he's now 35 years old, then, the chances are that these kind of issues won't go away any time soon.
Adesanya once wished to follow in Silva's footsteps, but at this point in his career, taking more beatings as 'The Spider' did would be the worst thing he could do. Instead, he'd be better off walking away before things really decline, something the legendary Brazilian failed to.
#2 Israel Adesanya is now miles away from another title shot
Every top fighter dreams of becoming a UFC champion, and for someone who's held a title in the octagon, being without the gold must be like torture.
For Israel Adesanya, then, his loss at UFC 305 this weekend to Dricus du Plessis represents more than a defeat to a bitter rival.
The defeat means that 'The Last Stylebender' is out of title contention for the foreseeable future, arguably for the first time since 2018.
Not only would a rematch with du Plessis be difficult to justify, but so would a rematch with Sean Strickland, who has apparently been promised the next title shot by Dana White.
Realistically, the only way that Adesanya could lay claim to a shot at the gold would be if Robert Whittaker, who he has beaten twice, were able to win it.
However, it's unlikely that 'The Reaper' will claim a title shot until mid-2025 at best, leaving Adesanya on the outside looking in.
If he can't shoot for the title, then what does 'The Last Stylebender' really have to fight for? The answer is very little, meaning he could be better advised to walk away.
#1 There are no real marquee fights left at 185 pounds for Israel Adesanya
In other weight classes in the UFC, fallen champions often find themselves with a bright future even if they're knocked out of title contention.
That's because their star power means that they're still very viable drawing cards for the promotion, particularly if there are other marquee fights readily available for them.
Dustin Poirier, for instance, has fallen to defeat in all of his undisputed title shots, but that hasn't really derailed 'The Diamond'.
This is because there have always been other big-name fighters for him to face off with in his weight class, including the likes of Justin Gaethje, Michael Chandler and Conor McGregor.
Unfortunately for Israel Adesanya, that isn't really the case in the middleweight division.
Not only has 'The Last Stylebender' already beaten most of the other viable contenders in the division, but none of them offer him a big-name foe for a so-called 'money fight'.
Realistically, nobody is going to be interested in seeing Adesanya face Jared Cannonier or Marvin Vettori again, and there's no money in seeing him face a rising prospect like Nassourdine Imavov or Brendan Allen either.
Basically, it feels very tricky to plot a path for 'The Last Stylebender' at 185 pounds that would be worth him actually walking.
There are some good reasons for Israel Adesanya to retire, but equally, there are some good reasons for him to continue fighting, too.
#2 Israel Adesanya might only be one win away from a huge fight with Alex Pereira
The one big "money fight" still on the table for Israel Adesanya would be a third clash in the octagon with Alex Pereira.
While his feud with Dricus du Plessis was more bitter, 'Poatan' is still the biggest rival in the career of 'The Last Stylebender'. A third fight in the octagon would be their fifth fight overall, and as everyone is well aware, Pereira is currently 3-1 up.
However, their last bout saw Adesanya win via knockout, meaning that the Brazilian would probably love to get another one over on his old foe.
With Pereira currently holding the UFC light-heavyweight title, though, how could Adesanya set up this fight?
Given his star power, 'The Last Stylebender' is probably in a favorable spot if he does want to pursue this one. Pereira is desperate for viable foes, as his next defense is set to come against Khalil Rountree, hardly a top contender.
Therefore, one victory at 205 pounds for Adesanya could easily propel him into a shot at 'Poatan'.
If the UFC could put him up against a stylistically favorable opponent - Johnny Walker or Jamahal Hill, perhaps - then Adesanya would definitely be hopeful of winning and facing Pereira again.
That kind of huge fight, which would no doubt draw a lot of money for all parties involved, would definitely be worth sticking around for.
#1 Israel Adesanya still has enough in the tank to continue
For as frustrating as his last two defeats have been, there were actually few signs to suggest that Israel Adesanya is completely washed or past his best.
He was defeated over five rounds by Sean Strickland, but may have been suffering burnout leading into the fight. More importantly, his bell was rung by 'Tarzan' early on, and he may never have fully recovered during the bout.
Against Dricus du Plessis, meanwhile, Adesanya was actually winning for the majority of the four rounds. He only lost when 'Stillknocks' was able to land a series of wild, clubbing shots that turned the tide.
Judging on this, it's arguable that Adesanya's chin is not what it once was. If he can protect that weakness, though - perhaps relying less on his reflexes - then there's no reason why he can't go on a resurgence.
It might feel unlikely right now, particularly as he is 35 years old, but betting against him climbing back to the top would be a risk.
After all, would anyone bet against 'The Last Stylebender' in a bout with Caio Borralho or Brendan Allen? Would anyone see him losing to Marvin Vettori or Paulo Costa in a rematch?
With that considered, and with plenty of money still out there to earn, walking away from the UFC altogether might be too hasty a decision for Adesanya.