Adesanya splits from City Kickboxing after four straight losses seeking fresh start

Israel Adesanya has ended his 15-year association with City Kickboxing, the Auckland-based gym that built him into a UFC middleweight champion, announcing the departure in a YouTube video posted on Thursday.

The split took effect on May 20, less than two months after Adesanya was knocked out by Joe Pyfer in the UFC Seattle main event — the fourth loss in a row for the 36-year-old, two of which came in middleweight title fights. Speaking directly to his audience, Adesanya said the decision had been a long time coming and was driven by a need for focused, one-on-one coaching rather than shared attention in a gym packed with elite-ranked fighters.

“So [Wednesday, May 20], I spoke to [head coach] Eugene [Bareman] face-to-face, and I told him I am not coming back to CKB,” Adesanya said. “This was something a long time coming behind the scenes, and we have an understanding. I won’t lie; it sucks.”

Despite the pain of the break, Adesanya was clear that the move was necessary. “It’s bittersweet, but it’s the right thing for me. Especially where I am at in my career, it’s exactly what I needed. Insanity is doing the same s–t and expecting different results.”

Adesanya first walked into City Kickboxing in 2009 and relocated to Auckland the following year to train there full-time. He credited the gym as the foundation of everything he achieved in combat sports, while also acknowledging his own role in raising its global profile.

“CKB made me into the fighter that I am today,” he said. “But also, I was one of the main pillars who put CKB on the map on the world stage — to take it to the next level, where people from all over the world want to come train at CKB, and I’m proud of that.”

He thanked head coach Eugene Bareman along with teammates and training partners including Cameron Rowston, Brogan Anderson, and kickboxer Doug Viney. Looking ahead, Adesanya was unambiguous about what his next camp must provide: “What I need for myself is focused, individual training.”

Adesanya has not announced a new training base or a next opponent. With four losses in succession and now a change of gym, the former champion faces a pivotal period in the final stretch of his fighting career.