I am better now than 2024 – Adesanya

Two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya says he has reached new levels ahead of his comeback fight against Nassourdine Imavov in February, NewsNGR Sports Extra reports.

“There’s always new levels you can hit, so I have hit a new level now,” Adesanya said on The Ariel Helwani Show.

The Nigeria-born fighter, who lost his title to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305 last August, revealed he had made significant changes to his preparation ahead of the bout, which will headline the UFC’s first-ever event in Saudi Arabia.

“For this camp, I was working and in my personal life, I just stayed away from places and people that don’t serve me in my ultimate goal. I just made a few changes just to align more with what I really want to get done in this game,” he said.

The 35-year-old acknowledged learning valuable lessons from his recent setbacks, which included consecutive losses to Du Plessis and Sean Strickland.

“I was very confident (in the last two fights) but I learnt not to take things too personally. The last two fights, I didn’t approach it very well but I don’t regret it. The things I did wrong, I addressed it and now I know I have done it a lot better,” Adesanya added.

The bout against Imavov will mark Adesanya’s first non-title fight since his victory over Anderson Silva in February 2019, as he aims to work his way back into title contention.

‘The Last Stylebender’, who boasts an impressive record of 24 wins with 16 knockout victories, recently told MMA Junkie that the middleweight division lacks excitement without his presence.

“Without me, middleweight is getting boring. So, it’s time to make it interesting,” he stated.

A victory over the fifth-ranked Imavov could potentially earn Adesanya another title shot or at least a number-one contender bout as he aims to reclaim his position at the top of the division.