Will Adesanya retire or make a comeback? SUPER LUTAS journalists make predictions for the former champion at UFC Seattle

📝 Summary ▼

Adesanya in a photo shoot. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/IsraelAdesanya

It took a while, but Israel Adesanya will finally return to the world's most famous octagon, in a completely different scenario than he's used to. This Saturday (28), the former dominant middleweight champion (up to 83,9 kg) will headline UFC Seattle against Joe Pyfer , in a fight of extreme importance for his career, but which does not interfere with the title race. This is because, coming off three consecutive losses, the 36-year-old Nigerian is experiencing his worst professional phase and has an uncertain future in combat sports.

PUBLICITY:

It's true that Adesanya isn't fazed by his consecutive losses to Sean Strickland , Dricus du Plessis , and Nassourdine Imavov , and insists he's not finished. However, many fans and MMA professionals speculate that if the Nigerian loses again, he might announce his retirement right there in the octagon.

Interestingly, despite the delicate moment in his career, the former champion is considered the favorite by Stake to win the highly anticipated fight. As the main event of UFC Seattle divides opinions, the SUPER LUTAS team made a prediction about Adesanya's future. Will the veteran bounce back and stage an epic comeback, or will he lose his fourth consecutive fight and retire?

PUBLICITY:

See too

Poatan, Borrachinha? Adesanya surprises and reveals his favorite exchange of barbs in the UFC.

Adesanya rules out a move to light heavyweight and bets on Whittaker's success: 'He's got it all'

Adesanya finds Chimaev's delay in fighting strange and taunts him in the UFC: 'He should be an active champion'

Stake Brasil, official sponsor of the UFC.

Stake is the official sponsor of the UFC in Brazil, as well as names like Alex Poatan , Alexandre Pantoja , and Israel Adesanya . The betting platform is fully licensed in Brazil and offers complete security for you to place your bets. Click here to register.

Team forecast SUPER FIGHTS

Gabriel Reis: “I think that, regardless of the result, Adesanya should hang up his gloves. If he wins, he comes away with a positive result. If he loses, he leaves the octagon with another stain on his record, but avoids prolonging his bad streak. Still, I think he should continue fighting. In case of victory, he can try a new climb to the top. If he is defeated, an alternative would be to seek fights outside the UFC. Who wouldn't watch Adesanya vs. Jake Paul ?”

Luís Antônio Cardoso: “Despite considering him a much more skilled fighter than his opponent, the current form of each athlete leads me to believe that we may be witnessing a generational shift. That said, I believe he should retire. His recent results and performances haven't been good, and his opponents have been changing in profile over time.”

Rodrigo Tannuri: “I’m a fan of Adesanya and I’ll defend him to the end, but this fight worries me. Despite going through the worst phase of his career, the former UFC champion isn’t fighting badly, but the results are adverse. To make matters worse, his chin is visibly weakened and, as he’s a striker, this becomes a significant disadvantage against Pyfer, who is brutal, big, powerful, and a natural knockout artist. Even so, I’m going to take a chance and bet that Adesanya, like Kamaru Usman , will bounce back, ending his three-fight losing streak with a good performance.”

Adesanya's fighters in MMA

Israel Adesanya , 36, made history as the UFC middleweight champion (up to 83,9 kg) and became an MMA legend. The Nigerian began his career in the sport in 2012, debuted in the company in 2018, and won the belt in 2019. In his first reign in the division, the renowned striker defended the title five times.

In this discipline, the athlete built a record of 24 wins, 16 by knockout, and five losses. His main victories were over Alex Poatan , Anderson Silva , Derek Brunson , Jared Cannonier , Kelvin Gastelum , Marvin Vettori (twice), Paulo Borrachinha , Robert Whittaker (twice), and Yoel Romero.

PUBLICITY:

MAIN CARD (21pm Brasília time)

Average weight (up to 83,9 kg): Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer

Flyweight (up to 57 kg): Alexa Grasso x Maycee Barber

Welterweight (up to 77,1 kg): Michael Chiesa vs. Niko Price

Featherweight (up to 65,8 kg): Julian Erosa vs. Lerryan Douglas

Average weight (up to 83,9 kg): Mansur Abdul-Malik x Yousri Belgaroui

Lightweight (up to 70,3 kg): Terrance McKinney vs. Kyle Nelson

PRELIMINARY CARD (18pm Brasília time)

Lightweight (up to 70,3 kg): Ignacio Bahamondes x Tofiq Musayev

Lightweight (up to 70,3 kg): Chase Hooper vs. Lance Gibson Jr.