Nigerian-born New Zealander and former UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, has stated that he plans to end his mixed martial arts career in five years.
This announcement came ahead of his rematch with Alex Pereira, who defeated him last year and stripped him of his title.
Adesanya, who will be facing Pereira at UFC 287 in Miami on April 9, is determined to regain his crown and leave the sport on a high note. The 33-year-old fighter, who has a record of 23 wins and two losses, has been in the UFC for five years and has achieved immense popularity, News About Nigeria reports.
While he loves the sport and is great at it, Adesanya has other things he wants to do in life and does not want to attach himself to the sport. He aims to leave the sport at the top of his game and wants to return to his status as the king of the division.
Adesanya’s upcoming rematch with Pereira will be a challenging one, as he has failed to overturn his two kickboxing defeats to the Brazilian in the past. Nonetheless, Adesanya is optimistic about his chances of winning and regaining his title.
Although it is unclear how long Adesanya will remain in the UFC, he believes that five years is a reasonable timeline for him to accomplish all that he desires. Fans of the sport will surely miss Adesanya when he finally decides to leave, but they can enjoy his impressive skills and accomplishments until then.
