Adesanya joins Volkanovski's Sydney gym as three-fight skid forces training overhaul

Israel Adesanya has parted ways with his longtime home of City Kickboxing and relocated to Freestyle MMA Performance Centre in Sydney, where he has been spotted training alongside UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and rising contender Mauricio Ruffy. The move marks the most significant structural change of Adesanya’s career since he rose to middleweight champion, and comes with his record showing three finishes in his last three outings.

Adesanya’s most recent defeat was a second-round knockout loss to Joe Pyfer in March, capping a run that has seen him fail to win a fight since reclaiming the 185-pound title from Alex Pereira more than three years ago. The Nigerian-born New Zealander, once considered one of the sport’s most technically complete strikers, has now been finished three times since losing that championship.

The switch to the Sydney facility appears to be more than a short-term visit. Ruffy posted clips on social media of Adesanya working at the gym, and Adesanya’s dietitian followed with a “day of eating in pre-camp” video, strongly suggesting a fight has already been scheduled. Pre-camp nutrition protocols are typically introduced only once a bout is confirmed and a timeline is set.

The Freestyle MMA Performance Centre has become a notable hub in recent years. Volkanovski is based there, and Ruffy made the same move after leaving the Fighting Nerds following his loss to Benoit St. Denis. Since joining the Sydney gym, Ruffy has won back-to-back fights, most recently finishing Michael Chandler at UFC Freedom 250.

For Adesanya, the question is whether a change of environment and training partners can reverse a slide that has raised serious questions about his future at the top of the middleweight division. At 35, he remains a significant name in the UFC, but the losses have mounted and the manner of them — three stoppages — has sharpened the scrutiny around his next appearance.