It is safe to say that Israel Adesanya still has plenty of contenders eager to test themselves against him. The former two-time UFC middleweight champion has endured a difficult stretch over the past few years, with his most recent setback coming at UFC Seattle. There, Adesanya faced Joe Pyfer and was stopped in the second round after Pyfer unleashed a relentless barrage of ground-and-pound, forcing the referee to step in and stop the bout.
The loss marked Adesanya’s fourth consecutive defeat dating back to September 2023 and his third straight stoppage loss. During that skid, he suffered a knockout defeat to Nassourdine Imavov in Saudi Arabia, was submitted by Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305, and dropped a surprising decision to Sean Strickland at UFC 293, a result many still view as one of the biggest upsets in UFC history.
Adesanya’s last victory came in April 2023 when he reclaimed the middleweight title with a spectacular knockout of longtime rival Alex Pereira at UFC 287. Despite the recent downturn in his career, retirement appears to be the furthest thing from Adesanya’s mind. And if he chooses to continue competing, potential opponents are already lining up.
One of those names is Shara Magomedov. Fresh off a unanimous decision victory over Michel Pereira at UFC Baku, the middleweight contender has expressed interest in facing the former champion next. During the UFC Baku post-fight press conference, he said, “Israel Adesanya is a great matchup. He’s fast. He’s got a good size. He’s tall. He’s very interesting. He’s not that old, still. I think it would be an exciting matchup, and I think he would be a great, exciting matchup for me, to be honest.”
However, Magomedov does have one condition, and that is where his teammate Abus Magomedov enters the picture. While ‘Bullet’ is interested in testing himself against Adesanya, he made it clear that he would not stand in the way of his teammate if the UFC decided to make that matchup instead. He said, “But if I need to let my brother Abus take that matchup, then that’s what I’ll do. Abus is awesome. We trained for this camp. We did the whole camp together.”
The statement comes after Abus Magomedov secured an emphatic knockout victory over Michal Oleksiejczuk at UFC Baku. Following his win, the Russian middleweight also called for a fight with Adesanya, claiming the former champion had spoken negatively about him in the past.
During his post-fight interview, he said, “Only one guy, Adesanya. Back in the day, some conversation, he talked little bit shit about me. And now it’s time, I think. I hope we gonna fight one day. A lot of respect for Adesanya. He was champion, I was growing up with his fights. But now it’s my time.”
The tension seemingly traces back to an interview in which Adesanya struggled to remember Magomedov’s name while discussing some of Sean Strickland’s previous opponents. For the unversed, Magomedov endured a rocky start to his UFC run, going 1-2 in his first three appearances with defeats to Strickland and Caio Borralho.
What a finish by Abus Magomedov!!
He calls out Israel Adesanya 👀pic.twitter.com/D52Vananvz
— MMA On Point (@mmaonpoint) June 27, 2026
ALSO READ: Conor McGregor Unveils New ‘Money’ Themed Custom Venum Shorts Ahead of UFC 329 Comeback
He later bounced back with a three-fight winning streak before suffering a submission loss to Joe Pyfer. His victory over Oleksiejczuk at UFC Baku marked an important return to form and put him back into the middleweight conversation. As for Shara Magomedov, he has responded well since suffering the first loss of his UFC career against Michael Page in early 2025.
With both Magomedov teammates expressing interest in facing Adesanya, the former middleweight champion suddenly has multiple intriguing options available should he decide on his next move. Whether it is Shara or Abus who gets the opportunity, it will be interesting to see if either man emerges as Adesanya’s next opponent.
Leave a Comment
Share your thoughts and join the discussion