"Retards out there thought I actually meant that" - Israel Adesanya drops big hint on potential UFC return

Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya recently dropped a major hint about potentially returning to action sooner than expected. The Nigerian-born Kiwi admitted that while he did say he'd sideline himself for the next four years, he didn't mean it, and fans could expect to see him in the cage much sooner.

In September, Adesanya shockingly lost the middleweight championship to Sean Strickland at UFC 293. Despite many expecting 'Tarzan' to be an easy opponent for Adesanya, the 32-year-old American surprised everyone with his skills and dominated 'The Last Stylebender' over five rounds to win via unanimous decision.

In the aftermath, Adesanya announced that he'd be going on an extended hiatus. Despite being one of the most active champions in the UFC, he surprisingly stated that he will return to fighting in 2027.

In a recent interview with boxer Derek Chisora for IFL TV, Israel Adesanya went back on his statements about returning in 2017. 'The Last Stylebender' hinted at returning earlier than his previous timeline and said:

"I had four fights in fourteen months as a champion in the UFC. That's unheard of. I was the most active champion, not fighter, champion in the league. So, life has forced me to take some time off, and I will, but you will see me soon. I said 2027, and the retards out there actually thought I meant that. You'll see."

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Alex Pereira doesn't think Israel Adesanya is interested in a trilogy fight

Alex Pereira recently shared his two cents on a potential trilogy fight against Israel Adesanya sometime down the line. So far, Pereira is 1-1 against Adesanya in the UFC, and many believe the two rivals are destined to run it back a third time.

While 'Poatan' called out 'The Last Stylebender' for a third showdown after winning the vacant UFC light heavyweight championship against Jiri Prochazka at UFC 295, he's ready to move on if his longtime combat sports rival isn't interested.

As mentioned, Israel Adesanya was taking some time off from MMA and appeared disinterested in Pereira's callout at UFC 295. In a recent interview with Ares FC, 'Poatan' admitted that he doesn't mind being spurned and said:

"It doesn’t matter for me. I called him out in the cage after the title win, and I wanted to give him the chance, and I saw he was not giving me any respect for this. He was laughing about it and making some jokes. So for me, it doesn’t matter anymore...I’m really doubting if he’s motivated to fight me again. I never choose my opponents." [via translator]

Catch Alex Pereira's comments below (8:10):