Israel Adesanya has been removed from the UFCโs pound-for-pound rankings for the first time since 2019. This decision follows a challenging period for Adesanya, marked by back-to-back losses, including an unexpected defeat to Sean Strickland at UFC 293. Here is what happened:
Israel Adesanyaโs recent performances leading to his removal from the P4P list, reflects a downturn in his career. This result contrasts sharply with his previous dominance in the middleweight division. Despite being one of the UFCโs top fighters over the past few years, Adesanyaโs recent struggles have seen him lose his middleweight title twice and slip in the overall rankings.
Israel Adesanyaโs prime in the UFC was marked by his rapid rise and dominance in the middleweight division. โThe Last Stylebenderโ quickly established himself as one of the sportโs biggest stars. After debuting in the UFC in 2018, he captured the middleweight title in 2019 after defeating former champion Robert Whittaker. This catapulted him into the top tier of the pound-for-pound rankings.
At his peak, Adesanya maintained a top position in the pound-for-pound list, reaching as high as No. 2 at one point. He defended his title five times, solidifying his reputation as one of the best in the world. Interestingly, โThe Last Stylebenderโ had frequently expressed indifference towards the rankings.
His recent setbacks, including his losses to Alex Pereira and Sean Strickland, have led to a decline in his rankings, ultimately resulting in his removal from the pound-for-pound list for the first time since 2019. However, Adesanya has vowed to come back stronger, putting to rest all rumors of his retirement.
Netizens react to Israel Adesanya not making it to the UFC P4P list
Israel Adesanya is one of the few superstars in the sport. The news of him failing to make it to the list of top pound-for-pound fighters in the promotion caught the attention of fans on social media. People went to the comment section to share their thoughts and reactions to the situation. Here are some of the reactions from X:
In a recent interview with Combat TV, City Kickboxing coach Mike Angove discussed whatโs next for Israel Adesanya following his second consecutive loss. Angove emphasized that Adesanya is still capable of regaining the middleweight title and mentioned that a few adjustments and a couple of wins could put him back in the title picture.
Angove also noted that Adesanya will likely need to win a contender fight before getting another title shot, given the current landscape of the division. It will be interesting to see what is next in store for โThe Last Stylebenderโ.
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