Israel Adesanya signs UFC bout agreement, vows to end four-fight losing streak

Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya says he has signed a new bout agreement and that his losing run is about to end. He told the Precision Podcast he signed the contracts a day earlier, Sherdog reported on Wednesday.

"There will be blood in the sand, and it's not going to be me," Adesanya said.

Who is Adesanya fighting?

He did not name his opponent. Sherdog reported that he has been linked with Russian middleweight Sharabutdin Magomedov for a fight on 5 December. The UFC has not announced the bout, so treat the opponent and date as unconfirmed until it does. We will add the fight to our UFC schedule in Pakistan time once it is official.

Four losses in a row

Adesanya's last win was a second-round knockout of Alex Pereira at UFC 287 in April 2023, which won back the middleweight title. Since then he has lost four straight, the longest skid of his career:

1. Sean Strickland (lost the title)
2. Dricus du Plessis (title fight)
3. Nassourdine Imavov
4. Joe Pyfer, at UFC Seattle in March

"The last three years have just not been fun," he said.

Why it matters

Adesanya, who was born in Nigeria and fights out of New Zealand, was one of the UFC's biggest stars during his title reign. A fifth defeat would almost certainly end any route back to a title shot; a win over a rising name like Magomedov would put him back in the conversation at 185 pounds.

UFC numbered and Fight Night main cards usually start between 7am and 9am PKT on a Sunday, so Pakistani fans watch over breakfast. Check our UFC schedule page for every confirmed card in Pakistan time.