Video: Should Israel Adesanya retire after UFC Saudi Arabia TKO loss?
Israel Adesanya is in a tricky spot.
For the first time in his MMA career, Adesanya has suffered three defeats in a row, with his latest being this past Saturday in the main event of UFC Fight Night 250 in Saudi Arabia. The former middleweight champion was stopped by Nassourdine Imavov in the second round of their contest. It was a tough defeat for Adesanya, who's now 35 and 1-4 in his past five trips to the octagon.
So, how do we grade Adesanya's latest performance? Should he consider retiring from MMA with this career rut? If not, what kind of fights are left for him in the sport?
MMA Junkie's Brian "Goze" Garcia, Dan Tom, Danny Segura and host Gorgeous George discuss Adesanya's TKO defeat to Imavov along with his future in MMA.
Watch their discussion in the video above, and don't miss this week's complete episode of "Spinning Back Clique" below on YouTube.
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This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Video: Should Israel Adesanya retire after UFC Saudi Arabia TKO loss?
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