"About to be Chimaev’s division for a while" - Israel Adesanya's plan of an extended UFC hiatus has fans abuzz
Israel Adesanya is planning on taking a long sabbatical from MMA after losing the UFC middleweight title to Sean Strickland.
The former two-time UFC middleweight champion was widely favored to win his ninth UFC title against Strickland. However, he suffered a one-sided unanimous decision defeat in the main event of UFC 293 last month.
During a recent episode of 'The Rock' podcast, Israel Adesanya shared his intentions to step away from the world of fighting for a while:
"Now I’m going to take time to look after myself, and I’m not going to fight for a long time. I’m definitely not going to retire because I know me – I’m not leaving like that. I’m going to heal myself up. You won’t see me fight for a long time."
Check out Adesanya's comments below:
Israel Adesanya's decision to step away from MMA prompted an array of reactions from the fans.
One fan wrote:
"He’s 34, not sure if that’s the best idea"
Another wrote:
"Sean Strickland and our dog s*x memes broke him"
Check out some more reactions below:
"185 is about to be Chimaev’s division for a while"
"I think he’s got a drinking problem tbh"
"He most probably will return to fight Alex Pereira at LHW for the belt."
"He just knows he has 0% chance against Khamzat."
"Hes the most active champ we’ve ever had, he deserves the rest."
"The only Israel news I want to hear today"
"Good for him.. made a lot of money…. Enjoy life .."
"Sean really fu*ked his mindset up lol 🇺🇸"
Why was Israel Adesanya arrested?
Israel Adesanya has pleaded guilty in a recent drunk driving case in New Zealand. 'The Last Stylebender' was found driving a vehicle on Wellesley St. in Auckland Central with a reported blood alcohol level of 87 milligrams per 100 milliliters, surpassing the legal limit of 50 milligrams. The incident occurred on August 19 while he was preparing for Sean Strickland's bout.
Confronting potential penalties of a $4500 fine or a maximum of three months in prison, Adesanya conveyed profound regret for his behavior. In a statement given to the New Zealand Herald, the former champion recognized his mistakes, saying:
"I want to apologize to the community, my family, and my team for the decision I made to drive after consuming alcohol during dinner. I was pulled over and subjected to a blood test, which revealed a reading of 87 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood. I am disappointed with my decision to drive; it was unequivocally wrong. I understand that people may look up to me, and I want them to know that I do not condone such behavior."