Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has revealed that the end of his mixed martial arts career may be closer than many expect, hinting at retirement by 2027 with fewer than 10 fights left in him.

Speaking on his YouTube channel ahead of his bout against Joe Pyfer at UFC Seattle on March 28, the 36-year-old admitted he is increasingly aware that his time in the Octagon is winding down.

“I can see the finish line,” Adesanya said. “I’ve been seeing it in the distance, but now it’s closer.”

The Nigerian-born New Zealand-based star suggested that a schedule of two fights per year could bring his storied UFC career to a close within the next two years, adding that he has little clarity beyond that timeframe.

“2028 is going to be like, I don’t know yet. I can’t see past 2027,” he said.

Adesanya enters the Pyfer clash on a three-fight losing streak and, for the first time in his professional career, finds himself listed as the betting underdog, an unfamiliar position for one of the most dominant champions in middleweight history.

He also revealed that advanced talks were held for a high-profile bout at UFC Vancouver in October 2025 against former ONE Championship champion Reinier de Ridder. However, a training injury derailed those plans.

“I was going to fight last year, but I got injured in the gym, and that opportunity was taken away,” Adesanya explained.

Although initially frustrated by the setback, Adesanya now sees the enforced break as a blessing. The extended time away from competition allowed him to fully recover from his knockout loss to Nassourdine Imavov in Saudi Arabia in February 2024.

The prospect of facing an elite grappler like De Ridder on short notice had intrigued Adesanya, presenting a stylistic challenge he had not encountered during his UFC run. Brendan Allen eventually stepped in to face De Ridder, but Adesanya believes the additional recovery time has left him better prepared for his return against Pyfer.

Despite his reputation as one of the finest strikers in MMA history, Adesanya has previously ruled out a switch to boxing after retirement, insisting he prefers the freedom of having all his weapons at his disposal.

The Last Stylebender also took aim at the current state of the UFC middleweight division, describing it as “bland” compared to the era when he reigned at the top. Holder of the second-longest winning streak in division history behind Anderson Silva, Adesanya believes the division has lost much of its edge and excitement since his championship run.