Israel Adesanya Signs UFC Return Deal and Says He Is "Found Again"

Israel Adesanya has signed the bout agreement for his UFC return. The name across the cage is still unofficial.

Speaking with Demetrious Johnson on the Precision podcast, the former two-time middleweight champion said the paperwork was completed a day before the episode was recorded.

"We just signed the contract yesterday," Adesanya said. "Finally, both of them. You know, you've got the disclosed purse and the other one."

He did not name an opponent or give a date. MMA Junkie and Sherdog have linked him to a December 5 main event against Shara Magomedov in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The UFC has not announced that fight or posted an event page, so the pairing remains a reported booking rather than an official promotion announcement.

"I've been lost"

The more revealing part of Adesanya's appearance had little to do with the rumored opponent. He spoke about enjoying training again after the roughest stretch of his MMA career.

"I've missed this s---," Adesanya said. "The last three years have just not been fun. I've been lost, so I'm found again. I just can't wait to showcase everything."

The timing makes that admission hard to brush aside. Adesanya has lost four straight since knocking out Alex Pereira to reclaim the middleweight title at UFC 287 in April 2023. Sean Strickland took the belt from him by decision. Dricus Du Plessis submitted him, and Nassourdine Imavov and Joe Pyfer stopped him in his next two appearances.

That run has pushed Adesanya to No. 9 in the UFC's middleweight rankings. At 37, he is no longer returning as the division's automatic center of gravity. He is returning as a decorated veteran who needs to prove that renewed enthusiasm can survive once the cage door closes.

A signed return, but no official opponent

Adesanya offered one clue about the setting when he promised "blood in the sand," adding that it would not be his. That line fits the reports placing his return in Saudi Arabia, but it is not confirmation of the location or Magomedov matchup by itself.

If the reported fight becomes official, it would put two experienced strikers in a five-round setting with very different stakes. The UFC lists Adesanya at No. 9 and Magomedov at No. 15. Adesanya's résumé includes two middleweight title reigns and a 75-4 professional kickboxing record. Magomedov is 17-1 in MMA with 12 knockouts, according to his official UFC profile.

For Magomedov, the fight would be a chance to turn a famous name into a place near the top of the division. For Adesanya, it would be a far less forgiving assignment than a gentle reset. His timing, distance control and counterstriking remain difficult problems, but three consecutive stoppage losses have changed what opponents believe is possible against him.

Finding the joy again matters. It does not repair defensive lapses or erase the wear of a long combat-sports career. Adesanya appears to understand that talk has a limit, especially during a losing streak.

"It's easy to talk because I've lost my last four, but it's all good," he said. "There will be blood in the sand, and it's not going to be me."

The signed agreement ends the uncertainty over whether Adesanya intends to fight again. Everything beyond that still needs the UFC's seal. Until the promotion makes its announcement, the return is real and the opponent remains reported.