Adesanya eager to fight after Volkanovski's UFC 333 win, Dec. 5 Riyadh date in doubt

Israel Adesanya has not won in three years, and watching a training partner finish a title fight has made him impatient. He saw Alexander Volkanovski stop Movsar Evloev in round two at UFC 333 from home, then filmed his reaction for his YouTube channel. He called Volkanovski a legend and said the finish came earlier than he expected.

The clip ended with a plea rather than a prediction. "I can't wait. Let me bang, bro," Adesanya said as he watched a replay of the champion celebrating.

The motivation is easy to understand. Adesanya, 37, has lost four straight fights since he knocked out Alex Pereira in April 2023. He has recently changed his training base, leaving the gym in Auckland to work with Volkanovski's team in Sydney. The two have history: they previously trained together at City Kickboxing, the team Volkanovski fights for. Volkanovski, 38, kept his featherweight title with the Evloev win, which was a TKO by strikes.

Adesanya's next fight is reportedly already lined up. According to Bloody Elbow and Yardbarker MMA, he is set to headline UFC Saudi Arabia against Shara Magomedov in Riyadh on Dec. 5. The UFC has not confirmed the bout in these reports.

The date is not secure. Saudi Arabia has been hit by a number of missile and drone attacks in recent weeks, and some of them targeted Riyadh's international airport. The plans for the main event could fall apart because of the conflict in the region.

Watch for an official announcement from the UFC on the card, its location and its date. If Riyadh is no longer workable, Adesanya's long-awaited chance to end the losing run could move to another date or another venue.