"Is he running for president" - Israel Adesanya's shocking response to comeback timeline leaves fans guessing

Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has announced that he will be taking a break from action in the wake of his most recent loss against Sean Strickland.

Adesanya has lost two of his last three fights and has been one of the most active fighters on the roster. In a recent interview, he offered up a timeline for his return that caught fans by surprise.

“I’m not dead. I’m alive. Calm down, n***a, I’m alive. I’m still kicking so yeah, we hear. 2027. Look for the return. I’ll see you there.”

Fans reacted with hilarious quips about Adesanya running for president during the extended hiatus. They likened him to other fighters notorious for their inactivity, namely Jon Jones and Colby Covington.

"Is he running for president or something"

"Bro taking a page out of the Jon Jones book w the time off"

"2027 who he think he is Colby Covington."

Many fans also saw right through the sarcasm and did not buy Israel Adesanya's prediction.

"The amount of ppl who think he's being fr is crazy, yall need to learn social cues😭💀💀"

"It’s satire folks LOL my goodness"

"The cap on this app"

Others speculated about his return at the upcoming historic pay-per-view, UFC 300, and offered various reasons for his time off.

"At ufc 300 y'all will see Co-main as Adesanya vs Dricus."

"Waiting for chimaev to leave the division"

Check out fans' comments in the screenshots below:

Fans react to Israel Adesanya's 2027 return comment.

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Jon Jones backs Israel Adesanya's decision to take time off

UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones is no stranger to an extended hiatus from the sport. He lent his support to Israel Adesanya after the latter's announcement that he will be taking time off.

Jones urged 'The Last Stylebender' to prioritize himself and named his own recent layoff from the octagon as one of the best decisions he has made. Jones returned after three years to challenge for the heavyweight title on his debut in the division and was successful.

He wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter):

"Hey @stylebender I just want to let you know I support your decision to take a break from fighting. Taking those last three years off was one of the best decisions I’ve made. Always put YOU first brother. Protect your heart, protect your mimd & spirit. Proud of you Champ."

Check out Jon Jones' post below:

Jon Jones' post on X.