Israel Adesanya's six-word post on latest sparring session photo dump draws mixed fan reactions: "Masterclass loading"

Israel Adesanya recently shared a glimpse into his preparation for his highly anticipated return to the octagon. The former UFC middleweight champion is set to face Nassourdine Imavov in the headlining bout of UFC Saudi Arabia, scheduled for Feb. 1 at the ANB Arena in Riyadh.

'The Last Stylebender' appears to be sparing no effort in preparing for his first non-pay-per-view bout since July 2018. Taking to Instagram, he shared a series of photos and videos from his latest sparring session at his home base, City Kickboxing, alongside teammates Dan Hooker and Rob Wilkinson.

Adesanya captioned the post:

"This is the Vibe all 2025."

Check out Israel Adesanya's post below:

Adesanya's post sparked an array of reactions from fans, with many expressing confidence in the 35-year-old Nigerian-born Kiwi’s ability to stage a career resurgence and outshine Imavov in their upcoming clash.

One fan wrote:

"This Adesanya masterclass bouta hit SO GOOD Feb. 1st."

Another wrote:

"Masterclass loading."

Another commented:

"Can’t wait for your comeback."

Check out some more reactions below:

Comments on Adesanya's Instagram post

'The Last Stylebender' last competed at UFC 305 in August 2024, where he suffered a submission loss to reigning 185-pound champion Dricus du Plessis.

Adesanya lost his title to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 in September 2023 and now finds himself with a 1-3 record in his last four bouts.

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Israel Adesanya's coach discusses major adjustments in training for UFC Saudi Arabia showdown

Israel Adesanya is currently navigating the most challenging period of his career to date, marked by a noticeable decline in his performance over the past couple of years.

During a recent interview with Combat TV, Adesanya's longtime head coach, Eugene Bareman, revealed that they have made several significant adjustments in the former champion's training camp ahead of the UFC Saudi Arabia showdown with Nassourdine Imavov, aiming to address the issues that have affected past performances:

"There are a few things I'm doing quite differently with Izzy for this fight. They're a lot more drastic than what I'm usually accustomed to doing. I like to take things very steady and take a kind of if it's not... Broke, I need to fix it. Based on past performances, I thought we needed to really kind of flip things on their head a bit and... Yeah, he's looking really, really good."

Check out Eugene Bareman's comments below (10:05):