Nigerian-born Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) former two-time middleweight title holder, Israel Adesanya is under pressure to retire from the sport, following his fourth straight defeat in The Octagon.
Sports247 reports that Adesanya’s latest loss was last weekend against USA’s Joe Pyfer, who won with a second half submission against the New Zealand-based former champ, thereby leaving experts chorusing, ‘It’s time to quit.’
Although ‘The Last Style Bender’ insists he is not thinking of retirement just yet, former UFC flyweight champion, Demetrious Johnson told the Nigerian-born ace he just has to hang up his gloves for good.
Johnson told ‘The Ariel Helwani Show’ in a no-holds-barred verdict, “I would like to see him retire. There’s nothing else for him to do in mixed martial arts. I think he’s done everything.
“You’re not even considering the kickboxing matches he’s had as well. The man’s been on a tear, on a grind. I think he deserves to relax and enjoy himself and find something else.”
In the same vein, former UFC light heavyweight champion, Rashad Evans used his personal experience to advise Adesanya and recalled that it wasn’t the results in his fights that convinced him to stop – it was how he felt during the preparation phase.
Evans added, “Izzy has had those magical nights. And at that point, you’re not just competing against the person right in front of you. You’re competing against who you were on all those great nights.
“Izzy is judged by that guy he was when he came out and danced and then slept Robert Whittaker. That’s what he’s up against every time he steps out there.”
