Israel Adesanya has broken his silence on his MMA future after suffering four consecutive UFC defeats, with his last win coming in 2023.

What happened?

The 36-year-old Nigerian-New Zealand MMA fighter lost the UFC middleweight title to Alex Pereira at UFC 281 in 2022, but avenged his defeat at UFC 287 in Miami in 2023.

Adesanya's second middleweight championship run was short-lived, as he lost in his first title defence against Sean Strickland at UFC 293 in 2023.

Why it matters for Israel Adesanya

He challenged for the middleweight title again at UFC 305 in 2024, but Dricus du Plessis came out on top in the fourth round.

Adesanya suffered losses to Nassourdine Imavov and Joe Pyfer in 2025 and 2026 respectively, with his last outing ending in a second-round TKO defeat to Joe Pyfer at UFC Fight Night 271 in March.

What comes next?

Adesanya insisted that his "ego" is linked to his desire to keep on fighting in MMA, despite his reputation taking a major hit after four consecutive UFC defeats.

He told Demetrious Johnson's YouTube channel: "Even if we take a hit, like I said, four in a row for me, the equity might be down, but we're still up over most people who've come into this game."

Adesanya has no intention of bowing out of MMA on the back of four defeats in a row in the octagon, saying: "For me, I don't want this to be the writing of my story… this is not how I want to conclude this chapter of my life."

The 'Last Stylebender' refused to retire after suffering his fourth straight loss at UFC Seattle, and will look to bounce back in his next fight.

Adesanya has been with the UFC since 2017, and has a reputation as one of the most exciting fighters in the middleweight division.

His next move will be closely watched by fans and pundits alike, as he looks to regain his form and challenge for the title once again.

Adesanya's comments on his MMA future have sparked debate among fans, with some calling for him to retire and others backing him to bounce back.

The Nigerian-New Zealand fighter will be looking to prove his doubters wrong and show that he still has what it takes to compete at the highest level.