Adesanya: Break from MMA reassured me I'm 'far from done'

Stepping back from mixed martial arts for a while made former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya realize he has a lot left to give to the sport.

"It reassured me. I was like, 'Oh yeah, you're far from done,'" Adesanya said in a video published on his YouTube channel earlier this week. "Just looking in my eyes, I can see that killer."

One month after losing the middleweight title in one of the most disappointing performances of his career against Sean Strickland at UFC 293 last September, Adesanya said he was taking a hiatus from pro competition and didn't plan to fight "for a long time."

The Nigerian-born New Zealander had been one of the most active champions in the promotion, competing in five title fights since the start of 2022. In six years as a UFC fighter, the longest he has gone between fights is eight months.

However, it doesn't seem like Adesanya's break will last too long. The 34-year-old said in late December that MMA fans would see him back in the Octagon "soon."

There has been some speculation that Adesanya could return to action at UFC 300 on April 13 as one of the sport's most popular fighters. Before losing to Strickland, Adesanya said he wanted to headline the landmark event. However, he hasn't publicly commented on that prospect since the defeat.