Dana White reacts to Israel Adesanya’s third loss in a row: ‘Getting caught is getting caught’

By Fernando Quiles - February 2, 2025

UFC CEO Dana White has given his take on Israel Adesanya suffering his third loss in a row.

Israel Adesanya

The former two-time UFC middleweight champion shared the Octagon with Nassourdine Imavov in the main event of UFC Saudi Arabia. It was the first time Adesanya wasn’t competing for UFC gold since 2019. While Adesanya had solid takedown defense and striking in the opening frame, he was stopped early in the second round via TKO.

White has weighed in on Adesanya’s third loss in a row.

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Dana White Thinks Israel Adesanya Simply ‘Got Caught’

During the UFC Saudi Arabia post-fight press conference, Dana White was asked for his thoughts on Israel Adesanya being stopped by Nassourdine Imavov. He believes “The Last Stylebender” was off to a solid start.

“I thought Izzy looked incredible right up until he got caught,” White said. “Looked good, was picking him apart staying on the outside. Takedown defense was incredible. Chopping that calf kick the whole first round. He couldn’t have had a better first round, and then he got caught.”

White was then asked if he believes Adesanya’s best days could be behind him.

“Listen, getting caught is getting caught,” White said. “He’s 35, Imavov is 28 years old, he’s in his prime.”

Where Adesanya goes from here will be a story to watch in the coming weeks and months. The former two-time UFC middleweight champion appeared on the UFC Saudi Arabia post-show and he admitted that he needs some time to assess things with people close to him before making a decision on his future.

While many believe that Adesanya doesn’t have much to prove, he’s also just a couple of wins away from finding himself right back in the title hunt. If he ultimately decides to push on with his fighting career, it’ll be interesting to see who the UFC matchmakers book Adesanya against.

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Topics:

Dana White Israel Adesanya UFC