Israel Adesanya Praises New Camp After Leaving City Kickboxing

Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is feeling rejuvenated after overhauling his training environment. In July, Adesanya made the decision to part ways with New Zealand's City Kickboxing, the gym he called home since 2009, and formed a smaller team tailored specifically around his own preparation. The move follows a difficult stretch for Adesanya, who has not had his hand raised in the Octagon in over three years since knocking out rival Alex Pereira to reclaim the title, before losing the belt to Sean Strickland and suffering a stoppage loss in his subsequent outing.

In a recent training camp vlog, Adesanya expressed immense confidence ahead of his anticipated return, which is rumored to be a matchup against Shara Bullet at UFC Saudi Arabia. "This is the most fun training camp I've had in years," Adesanya said, comparing his current preparation to his 2022 and 2023 camps against Pereira. He added that he has already been in "regular fight week shape for weeks" heading into his next bout.

Adesanya, who initially described his departure from City Kickboxing as bittersweet, also reflected on his years with his former team. While noting he was there for many teammates, he admitted he felt he could have built stronger bonds with some training partners and acknowledged that he sometimes "hid behind them and just let the idiot take over."