I’ll know when to go, says Adesanya

Limited time at top: Kiwi fighter preparing for life after the octagon but is ‘pushing’

Undefeated in 19 career fights with the UFC middleweight title in his possession, Israel Adesanya is on top of the mixed martial arts world.

At just 31-years-old, Kiwi fighter Adesanya is in the prime of his career. However, he is well aware the career he is in has a limited lifespan.

Speaking to Newstalk ZB’s Martin Devlin, Adesanya said he has already started to prepare for life after the octagon and won’t be someone who seeks the spotlight once he calls time.

“I’m going to be one of those people that when it’s time to go, I’m out and you won’t see me again. I already have my plan,” Adesanya said.

“Fighting is fun and I’m grateful for this part of my life, but I’m not going to be one of these people that, when it’s gone, I miss the attention. When I’m done, you’ll never see me again unless I want you to.

“I could fight another 10 years, but I’ve been fighting for the last 10 years — I’ve had over 100 fights all around. There are other things I want to do; start a family, I want to have my hand in other businesses.

“Shout out to my father as well, because he’s a guy that is very, very smart.

“He’s always in the shadows watching and helping me make sure I don’t end up as one of these statistics or sad stories in combat sports or sports in general where you get up there and you lose it all because of mismanagement. I have other plans.”

Although he has been planning for life after fighting, the UFC middleweight champion’s immediate focus is on preparing for his upcoming title defence against undefeated contender Paulo Costa.

The pair are set to square off next month in the headline bout of UFC 253 at a venue yet to be confirmed. Although the UFC has not officially announced the bout, a number of sources have confirmed the booking.

The bout will be one of the most anticipated of the year.

Both fighters have won plenty of fans on their road to the upper echelon of the division.

Stylistically, the fight is an interesting match-up between the smart, calculated Adesanya and the bullish, powerful Costa.

“I’ve been pushing,” Adesanya said of his preparation for the bout. “This week was kind of my download week because I got a bit sick. You’re only human at the end of the day. But I’ve been pushing.”