When the two athletes met in Saudi Arabia, Portuguese football legend Cristiano Ronaldo sought to persuade Israel Adesanya to return from his UFC hiatus sooner.
Following his September title defeat, the former two-time middleweight champion stated plans for a lengthy sabbatical from active combat until at least 2027.
On Saturday, however, Adesanya looked to be piqued by a scheduled UFC debut in Saudi Arabia in March of next year and hinted at a possible comeback.
The Nigerian-born fighter was among the celebrities and high-profile athletes received by the Saudi Arabian organisers and promoters of Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou’s blockbuster heavyweight boxing match.
Adesanya ran into Ronaldo at the event and the two had a wholesome interaction that included the Al Nassr striker urging the UFC star to fight on the upcoming UFC card in the country.
Ronaldo urged ‘The Last Stylebender’ to fight in the recently announced first-ever UFC event in Saudi Arabia in March 2024.
According to Sportskeeda, CR7 claimed to have seen the card and asked why Adesanya was not on it, and ‘Izzy’s attempts at explaining his hiatus fell flat as he embraced the former Real Madrid man and seemed to be open to the idea telling Ronaldo that if he didn’t fight, he would come watch.
Appearing to already backtrack on his hiatus away from the sport of mixed martial arts, Adesanya claimed he was tempted by a potential feature at the fight in Saudi Arabia next year.
“I appreciate the love from greats who recognize the realness!” Israel Adesanya posted on his official X account. “ Saudi Arabia in March… tempting hahaha.”
He had admitted in October that taking on a number of fights over the past year to get the most out of MMA during his career had caught up to him.
“Four fights in the last 14 months, it takes a toll on your body,’ he said, noting that he had seen the doctors and done specialist tests to get himself back ready for fighting.
“I’m just going to take my time to heal, and then when I come back, f**king run for the hills,” the 34-year-old said.