Israel Adesanya to announce shock retirement?

Sad news for Adesanya fans. Speculation had been rife that former UFC middleweight champion is about to announce his retirement from sports, at age 36, with immediate effect.

UPDATE 24/05/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Being an athlete isn't fun anymore

“As we get older, there are phases of life that we enter into, and being an athlete just isn't fun anymore,” he might have said, says a source who remained anonymous. Other reports hinted that he may branch out into other creative fields he is better at (and more interested in), though they didn't provide any details.

#ThankYouIsrael

For a little while on Saturday evening, #ThankYouIsrael was a trending hashtag on Twitter. As many fans reminisce and look back on all the unforgettable memories, some may wonder what about now made him make the decision.

“Israel Adesanya was unlike any other athlete we’ve ever seen! #ThankYouIsrael”
— @universalObserver, 23 May 2026

“Didn't Israel Adesanya retire about 3 years ago?”
— @samy2love, 23 May 2026

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