Israel Adesanya has been removed from the UFC’s 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 Adesanya‘s 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 UFC’s top fighters over the past few years, Adesanya’s recent struggles have seen him lose his middleweight title twice and slip in the overall rankings.
Israel Adesanya’s prime in the UFC was marked by his rapid rise and dominance in the middleweight division. ‘The Last Stylebender’ quickly established himself as one of the sport’s 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, ‘The Last Stylebender’ 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:
I honestly didn’t think I’d see this until he retired. Gotta love how unpredictable MMA is
— Fight Philosophy (@fphilosophyofl) September 10, 2024
Games evolved. Gotta be able to do more than to counter punch and point fight with your little leg kicks.
— Nathan Hootselle (@Natedogg977) September 10, 2024
Good he’s washed. He shouldn’t be.
— Blaze Deshotel (@Yo_itsBlaze) September 10, 2024
By surrendering in his last fight, he surrendered his last piece of relevancy.
— Not A Fan (@darrenGOATtill2) September 10, 2024
I think it’s time we had that conversation, he was never that good
— David (@bydavidarriaga) September 10, 2024
Still has gas in the tank. Give him the #1/#2 contender in 6 months. Was winning that fight as always til he wasnt. He overcame that against pereira he can do it to ddp or anyone
— Rayyan (@r_damaj) September 10, 2024
it happens to everyone eventually. Well, except Jones apparently
— The_Hubris_Filled_Moron 🇺🇲 (@Manny_Ribera__) September 10, 2024
In a recent interview with Combat TV, City Kickboxing coach Mike Angove discussed what’s 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 ‘The Last Stylebender’.
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