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Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will headline one of the final cards of 2026 against a fellow fan favorite.
Israel Adesanya’s last UFC victory came against former two-division champion Alex Pereira in their UFC 287 rematch. Since then, Adesanya has lost four fights in a row, including recent TKO defeats to Nassourdine Imavov and Joe Pyfer.
After his recent loss to Pyfer at UFC Seattle, Adesanya seemed non-committal on a Mixed Martial Arts return. But after a recent departure from City Kickboxing, Adesanya is looking for a fresh start in this latest chapter of his career.
It was originally anticipated that Adesanya wouldn’t return to the Octagon until 2027. But the former UFC middleweight champion will return to fight ahead of schedule against one of the division’s hottest contenders.
Israel Adesanya looks to snap four-fight skid at UFC Saudi Arabia
As reported by MMA journalist Ariel Helwani, Adesanya will face Sharabutdin Magomedov (17-1-0) in the UFC Saudi Arabia main event on December 5th. As of this writing, the UFC hasn’t formally announced the booking.
If the fight is confirmed, Adesanya will face another top striker in Magomedov, who is fresh off back-to-back wins over Michel Pereira and Marc-Andre Barriault. The Muay Thai specialist has knocked out Antonio Trocoli and Armen Petrosyan during his UFC tenure.
Adesanya’s ongoing four-fight losing streak is the first skid of his professional MMA career. Before his current skid, Adesanya suffered losses to Jan Blachowicz and Pereira.
Adesanya’s middleweight return comes amidst uncertainty atop the division. UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland has threatened to leave the UFC to pursue a boxing match with Jake Paul.
The full UFC Saudi Arabia card is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks. This will mark Magomedov’s first UFC main event booking.
What is your prediction for Israel Adesanya vs. Sharabutdin Magomedov? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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