Former 2-time UFC Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has explained how his hiatus from the UFC was the best thing he could have done.
September 2023 Israel Adesanya would look to defend his UFC middleweight title against Sean Strickland. Adesanya would unfortunately lose the title due to a unanimous decision. After losing his title, Israel Adesanya would make it clear he was planning a hiatus from active competition. However, he never explained how long it would be and no one knew how long this break was going to last.
It turns out that this break Israel Adesanya was going on would last just under a year. This is due to Adesanya returning next month as the UFC heads over to Perth, Australia for UFC 305. Israel Adesanya will be looking to take back his belt when he challenges current champion Dricus Du Plessis. In a recent interview, Israel Adesanya would go on to speak about this decision and what is next for him.
Israel Adesanya Reflects on Break from Active Competition
Speaking to Sias Du Plessis Israel Adesanya would on to reflect on the hiatus by saying;
The hiatus was definitely needed,” said Israel Adesanya
“Because physically, mentally, even spiritually, I just needed a break from not just the fights but from the training camps and the constant rigmarole we put our bodies through as warriors. So it was good for me to just unplug from the game.”
“I’ve learned a lot in the time I’ve been away. I’ve always been a patient guy if you’ve actually paid attention to what I’m doing, but I’ve got more patience now, more clarity. And I’m sure of what I wanna achieve in this this last chapter of my game.”
“I’m the two-time UFC middleweight champion,”
“To make it three times, that’ll be nice, but it’s not really the main goal. For me, it’s about beating warriors from different codes, different nations, great fighters like Dricus, take them out, put them on my record, and move on to the next one until I’m done. That’s what it’s about.”
“The belt, it was always like, yeah, definitely be a UFC champ, but to get there was more the journey. I was just enjoying beating people up. So I’m back there. I’m just gonna enjoy beating people up and the belt will come, and it’ll stay. And eventually I’ll let it go.”
Israel Adesanya believes he has learned a lot since leaving active competition and is coming back looking to face great warriors. While having the UFC title would be a nice wee bonus this isn’t the main focus anymore. That is to have the biggest fight possible to go into and fight the toughest of opponents and currently one of these has the middleweight title which is a bonus.
