LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Israel Adesanya, former UFC middleweight champion, has said he plans to be out of game in five years ahead of his rematch with Alex Pereira.
“If I’m being honest, I’m not gonna be here in five years. I have other things to do in life. I love this sht and I’m f*king great at it but I never attach myself to this and I’m gonna leave on top.
“So yeah, that’s the place where I feel like you should leave. But again, I’ve been here five years in the UFC, (snaps fingers) it went like that. We’ll see how long I’m here for but I don’t think it’s gonna be five years,” Adesanya said.
His rival, Pereira, defeated the Nigerian star last year for the third time in his fighting career which resulted to his title loss.
Despite undergoing defeat last time out, Adesanya was first in the middleweight division since joining the UFC and there is still plenty left to accomplish if he is able to recover his crown later this year.
However, the 33-year-old intend to end his career on a high grounds to return to his status as the champion.
“I’ve been in the UFC five years, right?” Adesanya said during a press conference in Australia while discussing his upcoming rematch with Pereira.
Adesanya and Pereira rematch raiseed concerns as the battle for title is set to happen in April.
Undoubtedly, Adesanya has become a hugely popular figure in martial arts.
Currently, he is the UFC’s second-highest-paid fighter behind friend Conor McGregor.
The Nigerian-born New Zealander has a record of 23 wins and two losses so far as he hopes for a successful comeback mission this time.