Israel Adesanya Says New Training Team Has Made His Best Camp in Years

Israel Adesanya’s new training setup has given him a reason to feel energized ahead of his return. After four consecutive defeats, the former two-time UFC middleweight champion says the camp he built after leaving City Kickboxing is the most enjoyable he’s had in years. The test comes against Shara Magomedov at UFC Saudi Arabia, with Adesanya expecting that renewed feeling to show on fight night.

Adesanya’s decision to leave the Auckland gym followed his knockout loss to Joe Pyfer in March. That defeat extended a difficult stretch: before Pyfer stopped him, Nassourdine Imavov knocked him out, Dricus du Plessis submitted him, and Sean Strickland beat him on points. Adesanya has not won since April 2023, when he knocked out Alex Pereira to reclaim the middleweight title.

A camp built around Adesanya

In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Adesanya described how the change has affected his preparation. He acknowledged that fighters often call a camp their best, but said the combination of leaving CKB and assembling a team tailored to his needs made the claim feel true for him.

“How’s training been so far? Training camp has been awesome,” Adesanya said. “This is like a cliche, everyone says it, ‘The best training camp I’ve ever had.’ But I can truly say, with my departure from my old gym, CKB, and now building the team that I have and training specifically for me, this is the best I’ve felt in a very long time.”

He also pointed to the enjoyment he has found in the work. “I think this is the best training camp — this is the most fun training camp I’ve had,” he said. Recalling Pereira’s time in New York, he added: “When was Pereira in New York? 2022? This is the most fun training camp I’ve had in years.” His conclusion was direct: “That’s going to show on fight night.”

At CKB, Adesanya trained in an established gym alongside UFC fighters and prospects. His new arrangement gives him room to shape preparation around his own requirements. That change could matter at this point in his career, when the recent losses have made the next performance especially significant. Adesanya has described how the new setup feels; the bout with Magomedov will show what it has produced under competition.

Magomedov offers a demanding chance to reset

The matchup gives Adesanya an immediate opportunity to halt his losing streak, but a positive training report cannot settle questions raised by the defeats. Magomedov has yet to convince everyone that he belongs near the top of the middleweight division, and the source points to his loss to Michael “Venom” Page as a comparison with the kind of opponent Adesanya may be able to counter. That could make Magomedov a useful opponent for a comeback, though Adesanya still has to turn the stylistic opportunity into a win.

There is little margin for the new team’s promise to remain an encouraging story on its own. Adesanya’s comments describe a camp that feels more personal and more fun; his recent results make the coming fight a clear measure of whether that environment can help him regain momentum. Another loss would deepen the questions around his place in the division and add weight to calls from fans for him to retire. A win would give him his first since April 2023 and change the immediate conversation around his career.

Adesanya’s departure is therefore more than a change of gym. It marks a shift in how he is preparing after a run of results unlike any other in his professional career. The clearest takeaway from his account is that he feels better in training than he has for years. The clearest judgment will come when he faces Magomedov at UFC Saudi Arabia.

For a fighter who last won by knocking out Pereira, the upcoming bout is a chance to show that the reset has translated from the gym to the cage. Adesanya says he is enjoying this preparation more than any in years. Magomedov will determine whether that change can also put a win back on his record.