Honestly, if you look at the israel adesanya ufc record right now, it’s kinda jarring. It’s sitting at 24-5-0, but those numbers don’t even begin to tell the real story of what’s been happening inside the Octagon lately. It feels like just yesterday he was this untouchable, matrix-dodging ghost that nobody could find, let alone hit. Now? He’s on the first three-fight skid of his entire life.
It’s wild how fast the narrative changes in MMA. You go from being the king of the world to people wondering if you should’ve retired two fights ago.
His last time out was a rough one. On February 1, 2025, in Riyadh, Nassourdine Imavov did something we haven't seen often: he flat-out stopped Izzy. It wasn't a long, drawn-out war like the Kelvin Gastelum fight. It was a second-round TKO that lasted all of 30 seconds into the round. Imavov caught him with a flurry, and just like that, the "Last Stylebender" looked human.
The Current State of the Israel Adesanya UFC Record
Right now, Izzy is 13-5 inside the UFC. That might sound "okay" to a casual fan, but you’ve gotta remember he started his UFC career 12-0. Since 2021, he’s gone 5-5. It’s been a rollercoaster of high-profile wins and devastating setbacks.
The losses are starting to stack up in a way that’s hard to ignore.
- Nassourdine Imavov (Feb 2025): Loss via TKO, Round 2.
- Dricus Du Plessis (Aug 2024): Loss via Submission (Rear Naked Choke), Round 4.
- Sean Strickland (Sept 2023): Loss via Unanimous Decision.
That Strickland fight was the one that really broke the "invincibility" aura. Izzy just couldn't get his offense going. Strickland stayed in his face, parried everything, and dropped him in the first. It was a masterclass in frustration. Before that, Izzy had that legendary comeback against Alex Pereira at UFC 287—probably the most emotional win of his career—but he hasn't tasted victory since that night in April 2023.
Is the "Stylebender" Era Actually Over?
People love to say a fighter is "washed" the moment they lose twice. With Adesanya, it's more complicated. He’s 36 now. In the lower weight classes, that's ancient, but at Middleweight, you can usually hang a bit longer. However, the stats show he's absorbing more than he used to.
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His striking accuracy still hovers around 48%, which is solid, but his defense—the thing that made him famous—is showing cracks. He’s been finished in two of his last three losses. For a guy who used to be impossible to pin down, that’s a massive red flag.
Then there’s the Joe Pyfer fight.
Dana White just announced it for March 28, 2026, in Seattle. This is a massive "prove it" moment. Pyfer is ranked #15; Izzy is #6. This is the first time in forever that Adesanya isn't fighting for a belt or against a former champion. It’s a gatekeeper fight. That’s a weird sentence to write about Israel Adesanya, but it's the reality of his current israel adesanya ufc record.
Breaking Down the Career Wins and Losses
If we look at the total body of work, it’s still Hall of Fame material. No question.
He’s got 16 wins by knockout. He defended the middleweight title five times in his first reign. He beat Robert Whittaker twice—the second one was close, sure, but the first one was a clinical demolition in front of 57,000 people in Melbourne. He dismantled Paulo Costa so badly it basically broke Costa’s career for two years.
But then you have the Jan Blachowicz experiment.
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Izzy tried to go up to 205 lbs to become a double champ in 2021. He got out-muscled. Jan didn't knock him out; he just used his "legendary Polish power" and some well-timed wrestling to keep Izzy pinned. That was the first official loss on the israel adesanya ufc record, and it felt like it provided a blueprint: if you can't out-strike him, you have to make it ugly.
The Pereira Rivalry: A Statistical Nightmare
You can’t talk about his record without talking about "Poatan."
- UFC 281: Izzy was winning on the cards until the fifth round. Pereira caught him against the fence and the ref stepped in. Loss.
- UFC 287: The redemption. Izzy baits Pereira into a flurry, plays "possum" against the fence, and lands two of the cleanest right hands in UFC history. Win.
That win alone bought him a lot of leeway with the fans. It was a movie ending. But the toll of those wars, combined with the quick turnaround to fight Strickland, might have been where the wheels started to wobble.
What the Numbers Tell Us (The Prose Version)
Instead of just looking at a table of stats, let’s look at how he actually fights now. His significant strikes landed per minute is around 4.02. That’s good, but his strike absorption has crept up to 3.20. When he was on his 12-0 run, that gap was much wider. He was hitting people and not getting hit back.
His takedown defense is still elite at 76%. He's actually very hard to keep down, which is why Du Plessis submitting him was such a shock. Dricus didn't just out-wrestle him; he out-gritted him. He made the fight a brawl, and Izzy eventually wilted under the pressure.
The "Stylebender" needs space to work. He needs his opponent to be hesitant. But the new guard of middleweights—guys like Imavov and Pyfer—aren't scared of the feints anymore. They’re willing to take a shot to give one, and at 36, Izzy’s chin might not be the iron vault it used to be.
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Looking Ahead: The Road to Seattle 2026
The fight against Joe Pyfer at UFC Fight Night in Seattle is basically a crossroads. If Izzy wins, he proves he’s still a top-tier contender who just had a bad run against elite stylistics. If he loses? We are looking at a four-fight losing streak.
Pyfer is ten years younger. He’s got heavy hands and a lot of hype. This is exactly the kind of fight the UFC sets up when they want to see if an old legend still has "it" or if it’s time to push the new generation.
Basically, the israel adesanya ufc record is at a breaking point.
One thing is for sure: you can't ever count him out. This is the same guy who was down 0-3 across two sports against Pereira and still came back to sleep him. He thrives on being the underdog, even when he's technically the higher-ranked fighter.
Actionable Insights for Following Izzy’s Career:
- Watch the Pyfer fight closely for "The Twitch": If Izzy is feinting and his opponent isn't reacting, he's in trouble. His game relies on manipulation.
- Check the betting lines: For the first time in years, Izzy might be a very slim favorite or even an underdog against a #15 ranked fighter.
- Analyze the volume: In his recent losses, his output has dropped significantly in the middle rounds. If he doesn't throw 15+ significant strikes per round, he usually loses the decision.
The story of the israel adesanya ufc record isn't finished yet, but the final chapters are definitely being written. Whether it ends with one last title run or a quiet exit, he's already done enough to be remembered as one of the best to ever lace up the 4-ounce gloves.
March 28 will tell us everything we need to know about what’s left in the tank.