Ex-UFC champion Israel Adesanya headlines Riyadh card after leaving longtime gym
The gist
Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is set to face Shara Magomedov in Riyadh on Dec. 5.
The bout is his first since a fourth straight loss and a split from his gym of over 15 years.
How it unfolded
- 2023Adesanya lost the 185-pound title to Sean Strickland, ending his second championship reign without a successful defense.
- Feb 2026At UFC Fight Night 271 in Seattle, Adesanya was finished by Joe Pyfer, his fourth straight loss.
- Jul 2026Adesanya parted ways with City Kickboxing in New Zealand, the gym he had called home since 2009.
Key terms
- UFC
- An American mixed martial arts promotion company that organizes fights across weight divisions under unified rules.
- middleweight
- A weight class in mixed martial arts, typically grouping fighters around 171 to 185 pounds in the UFC.
- card
- The list of matches scheduled for a combat-sport event, including a main event and undercard bouts.
Source: Wikipedia