Israel Adesanya meets Conor McGregor while ‘taking time off’ from UFC fights

Israel Adesanya and Conor McGregor were recently in attendance at the ‘Day of Reckoning’ boxing event in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Headlined by Anthony Joshua and Otto Wallin, the event also featured Deontay Wilder and Joseph Parker in the co-main event, along with Dmitry Bivol and Daniel Dubois, among others, on the card.

McGregor’s attendance at the event went viral due to his rant on fighting Manny Pacquiao whilst seated along with Cristiano Ronaldo. There are speculations about McGregor and Adesanya returning inside the octagon at UFC 300, but there hasn’t been any official confirmation from the UFC.

Israel Adesanya meets Conor McGregor

Israel Adesanya has not fought since he lost the UFC middleweight title to Sean Strickland at UFC 293. Adesanya was more than a 6 to 1 favorite for the bout that saw Strickland step in on short notice for the injured Dricus Du Plessis. Conor McGregor, on the other hand, has not fought in more than two years since his unfortunate leg injury during his fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.

Nevertheless, the two former UFC champions have been in attendance at several high-profile boxing events throughout the world. The two met at the ‘Day of Reckoning’ boxing event and had an interaction. The two were once managed by the same management company in Paradigm Sports before Timpson split from the company and started Chosen Advisory.

During the conversation, Adesanya mentioned to McGregor that he would be going to Dubai afterward, to which McGregor replied that he would be in Dubai as he is training there. Nevertheless, the interaction between two of the biggest names in the sport had fans hyped up.

Israel Adesanya provided a detailed analysis of the ‘Day of Reckoning’ boxing event on his YouTube channel, FreeStylebender. He was very impressed with the performances of Anthony Joshua, Joseph Parker, Daniel Dubois, and Dmitry Bivol at the event.

Israel Adesanya breaks silence on UFC retirement

Israel Adesanya is gearing up for his return to the octagon in 2024. His decision to go on a hiatus surprised many considering his status as one of the most fearsome UFC fighter. Dana White and the UFC’s original plan was to give a rematch to Adesanya after he lost the title.

In an interview with iFL TV, Adesanya said, “My last few fights, I had four fights in 14 months as a champion in the UFC. That’s unheard of. I was the most active champion, not fighter, champion in the league.” It needs to be noted that Adesanya was the most active champion in the promotion and fought regularly, headlining PPVS.

“So life has forced me to take some time off and I will, but you will see me soon.” Izzy further shared his plans to come back in 2024. Rumors circulate about Adesanya fighting at UFC 300. A possible matchup with Alex Pereira is generating buzz, but it seems like Adesanya is more focused on returning to middleweight.

Khamzat Chimaev recently posted on Instagram hinting at his return from injury at UFC 300, possibly against The Last Stylebender. Chimaev had earlier suffered a tendon injury during his fight with Kamaru Usman at UFC 294 which he won by majority decision.

When do you think will Israel Adesanya return to the octagon? Give your prediction below!