Israel Adesanya rejects idea of retirement following UFC 305 defeat

UFC legend Israel Adesanya has reacted to his submission defeat at the hands of Dricus du Plessis last night.

In the main event of UFC 305, Israel Adesanya went to war with Dricus du Plessis. While it was a back and forth affair, it was du Plessis who came out on top. The champion was able to submit Adesanya in the fourth round, seemingly bringing an end to their rivalry for the time being.

RELATED: Pros react after Dricus Du Plessis submits Israel Adesanya at UFC 305

Of course, ‘Stylebender’ will hope that isn’t the end of his story. Alas, now that he’s lost two fights on the bounce, some are wondering whether or not he’ll hang up his gloves sooner rather than later.

According to the man himself, however, that isn’t the case. During the post-fight press conference, Isreal spoke candidly about his future.

Israel Adesanya isn't retiring anytime soon after #UFC305:

"I'm not f*cking leaving until I want to leave." pic.twitter.com/fxoOzWpb56

— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) August 18, 2024

Adesanya reflects

“For me, who knows what happens [next]. Again, life is fleeting, who knows what happens. He might never come back, if something happens to him. Any one of us in this room could go tomorrow. So, I try and take each fight, each moment as if it was my last. I only took my gloves off because it was tight. He’s got a strong head man, I hit him with some shots. So my hand was a bit, not broken, not even close, but just a little bit swollen. So, that’s why I took the gloves off, but nothing about retiring, no no no. I told you, I’m not f***ing leaving. I’m not f***ing leaving until I wanna leave.”

What do you believe should be next for Israel Adesanya? How many fights does he need to win before earning another title shot? Will he meet Dricus du Plessis again? Let us know your thoughts, BJPENN Nation!