Boxing
‘I Can See the Finish Line’ – Adesanya Targets 2027 Retirement Set For Joe Pyfer Clash in March
Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has revealed he is targeting a potential retirement from mixed martial arts by 2027, admitting that the end of his storied career is now firmly in sight.
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The 36-year-old made the disclosure on his YouTube channel ahead of his next bout against Joe Pyfer at UFC Seattle on March 28.
“I can see the finish line,” Adesanya said. “I’ve been seeing the finish line in the distance, but now it’s closer.”
Adesanya explained that he expects to have fewer than 10 fights left, outlining a plan to compete roughly twice a year, a schedule that would bring his UFC journey to a close within the next two years.
“2028 is going to be like, I don’t know yet. I can’t see past 2027,” he added.
The Nigerian-born New Zealand-based fighter heads into the clash with Pyfer on a three-fight losing streak and will be entering the Octagon as a betting underdog for the first time in his professional career.
Adesanya also revealed that he was close to returning to action in October 2025 at UFC Vancouver, where he was in advanced talks to face former ONE Championship double champion Reinier de Ridder. However, a gym injury forced him to withdraw from the bout.
“I was going to fight last year, but then I got injured in the gym, and then that opportunity got taken away,” he said.
While initially disappointed, Adesanya now believes the setback worked in his favour, allowing him additional time to recover fully from his knockout loss to Nassourdine Imavov in Saudi Arabia in February 2024.
He admitted that the prospect of facing a grappler like De Ridder on short notice was appealing, as it presented a challenge he had not previously encountered during his UFC career. Brendan Allen eventually replaced Adesanya to face De Ridder.
Looking ahead,
Adesanya remains focused on his return against Pyfer and believes the extended recovery period has better prepared him for the contest.
The former champion has also ruled out a move to professional boxing after retirement, despite his reputation as one of the most accomplished strikers in MMA history, stating that he prefers having access to all aspects of his skill set.
Adesanya further criticised the current state of the UFC middleweight division, describing it as “bland” compared to the era when he dominated the weight class.
Holder of the second-longest winning streak in middleweight history behind Anderson Silva,
The Last Stylebender believes the division has lost much of the excitement it once had during his reign at the top.
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The post ‘I Can See the Finish Line’ – Adesanya Targets 2027 Retirement Set For Joe Pyfer Clash in March appeared first on Sports247 Nigeria.
Boxing
Usman Learning from the Bottom Again, Seeks Redemption Against Du Plessis After 13-Month Layoff
Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman believes he is back in familiar territory as he prepares for a defining clash against ex-middleweight king Dricus du Plessis at UFC Fight Night in Oklahoma City this Saturday.
READ ALSO: Kamaru Usman Reveals How Defeats Became His Greatest Weapon Ahead of New UFC Chapter
After spending more than a decade as one of the UFC’s most dominant champions, “The Nigerian Nightmare” now finds himself rebuilding his career from the ground up following a difficult spell that saw him lose his welterweight crown.
Rather than dwell on the setbacks, Usman has embraced the challenge of proving himself all over again.
Saturday’s showdown marks his first fight in 13 months and his first full-scale appearance as a middleweight.
Although he previously stepped in on short notice against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294, this will be his first full training camp competing permanently at 185 pounds.
The move presents a fresh opportunity for the 39-year-old, who impressed in his last outing by defeating Joaquin Buckley with a wrestling-heavy performance that reminded fans why he was once considered one of the UFC’s pound-for-pound best.
Standing across from him will be former middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis, who is equally eager to bounce back after suffering a crushing defeat to Khamzat Chimaev that ended his 11-fight winning streak and cost him the UFC middleweight title.
With current champion Sean Strickland yet to announce his next title defence, the stakes could hardly be higher.
Both men own victories over Strickland, making Saturday’s headline bout a potential title eliminator.
For Usman, the contest is about more than rankings. It is an opportunity to prove that his championship pedigree remains intact despite the long layoff and a change in weight class.
A convincing victory over the dangerous South African would immediately thrust the Nigerian back into the middleweight title conversation and complete another remarkable chapter in a career built on resilience and reinvention.
The UFC Fight Night main event takes place this weekend at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, with both former champions aiming to take a major step toward another world title shot.
The post Usman Learning from the Bottom Again, Seeks Redemption Against Du Plessis After 13-Month Layoff appeared first on Sports247 Nigeria.
The post Khelif’s first professional fight in Paris postponed due to injury appeared first on Made In Africa Sport.
Fast-rising Nigerian-born heavyweight boxer, Moses Itauma is facing a huge dilemma of choice, following a directive by World Boxing Federation (IBF) that he must face Frank Sanchez of Cuba in a title fight before the end of this year.
Sports247 reports that Itauma already has a bout lined up in August, which leaves him with a tough decision to take, after IBF ordered him into an agreement with Sanchez as soon as July 29th.
It’s now left to be seen if the 21-year-old Nigerian-born Britiish boxing prodigy will drop his date in August in order to concentrate on the IBF title fight, or he could try to muscle both bouts together in a huge gamble.
The dilemma facing Itauma arises after highly dominant Ukrainian, but now erstwhile three-belt holder, Oleksandr Usyk relinquished his IBF strap, along with his World Boxing Association (WBA) and World Boxing Council (WBC) titles in one swoop.
While WBC upgraded their interim champion, Agit Kabayel to take up the main belt, following Usyk’s decision, IBF have moved to arrange a bout for the vacant title, with specificc attention on Itauma, who in March got a fifth-round win over USA’s Jermaine Franklin.
Itauma is among the top three contenders on all three cards, but IBF have made the first move in trying to muscle Britain’s Best Boxer of The Year 2026 into an epic title shot within the shortest time possibile.
This is despite the fact that Itauma is already scheduled to fight Filip Hrgovic of Croatia at London’s O2 Arena on August 29th, in what he has referred to as his ‘toughest fight,’ but he may now decide to pull out or face Sanchez afterwards.
A report by Yahoo Sports adds, “Itauma has been ordered by the IBF to hold talks with Cuba’s Frank Sanchez about fighting for the vacant heavyweight title.
“The IBF said that, ‘in accordance with championship rules,’ it now wants Sanchez, who is number one in their heavyweight rankings, to fight number three contender Itauma. They have until 29 July to reach an agreement.”
The post Moses Itauma Faces Tough Decision After IBF Orders Manadatory Title Fight With Sanchez appeared first on Sports247 Nigeria.
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