In his first reign as UFC middleweight champion, Adesanya defended his title five times. He was able to recapture the belt by knocking out longtime rival Alex Pereira, but went on to lose back-to-back title fights to Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis.

UFC Saudi Arabia fight card has been finalized with the former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya headlining against Nassourdine Imavov.

Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is set to return to the Octagon in February. According to ESPN's Andreas Hale, UFC

Adesanya and Imavov square off in the UFC Saudi Arabia main event on February 1st in Riyadh. The card marks the promotion’s return to the kingdom after hosting a UFC Fight Night event in June, featuring another middleweight headliner between Robert Whittaker and Ikram Aliskerov.

The UFC makes its second visit to Saudi Arabia early in the 2025 calendar with UFC Fight Night 250, which features Israel Adesanya vs. Nassourdine Imavov in the main event. The octagon will touch down in the budding combat sports region with a strong lineup,

The UFC unveiled the official fight poster for UFC Saudi Arabia, featuring Israel Adesanya, Nassourdine Imavov, Shara Bullet, and Michael "Venom" Page.

Turki Alalshikh reveals poster for UFC Riyadh featuring Israel Adesanya vs. Nassourdine Imavov and Shara Magomedov vs. Michael "Venom" Page.