Adesanya signs UFC contract and vows to end four-fight losing streak

Israel Adesanya has signed a UFC bout agreement for his next fight and declared his four-fight losing streak will come to an end, the former middleweight champion revealed on the Precision Podcast. He has been linked to a matchup against Sharabutdin Magomedov on December 5, though he did not name his opponent during the appearance.

“We just signed the contract yesterday,” Adesanya said. “Finally, both of them. All I’m going to say is there’s going to be blood in the sand. It’s easy to talk because I’ve lost my last four, but it’s all good. There will be blood in the sand, and it’s not going to be me.”

Adesanya has not tasted victory since reclaiming the UFC middleweight title with a second-round knockout of Alex Pereira at UFC 287 in April 2023. In the two-plus years since, he has suffered consecutive defeats to Sean Strickland, Dricus Du Plessis, Nassourdine Imavov, and most recently Joe Pyfer at UFC Seattle in March — the longest losing run of his professional MMA career.

Despite that difficult stretch, “The Last Stylebender” says his hunger for competition has returned after what he described as three joyless years.

“I’ve missed this,” Adesanya said. “The last three years have just not been fun. I’ve been lost, so I’m found again. I just can’t wait to showcase everything. You know me, I speak from the heart — I just want to show you guys.”

At 35, Adesanya faces a pivotal moment in his career. A fifth straight defeat would raise serious questions about his future at the elite level of the middleweight division, while a victory over the unbeaten Magomedov — one of the UFC’s most hyped prospects — would represent a significant statement win and a potential route back toward title contention.