Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is set to step back into the octagon in December. He is scheduled to face Shara Magomedov in Saudi Arabia.
Journalist Ariel Helwani revealed this matchup for a December 5 event in Saudi Arabia during his show on October 14. So far, neither the UFC nor the fighters have confirmed the fight.
Adesanya has not fought since March 28. On that day, Joe Pyfer defeated him in the second round in Seattle. The 37-year-old fighter has lost his last four fights. His last victory was a knockout against Alex Pereira at UFC 287 in April 2023.
The losing streak began when Sean Strickland took his middleweight title by unanimous decision in September 2023. After that, Dricus du Plessis submitted him in the fourth round in August 2024. Nassourdine Imavov then knocked him out in the second round in February 2025.
After the loss to Pyfer, there were rumors about Adesanya retiring. He quickly dismissed those rumors.
Adesanya has mentioned that he does not want to be a fighter who cannot retire. He plans to fight about twice a year instead of four times. "I do not need to be the guy who needs to fight," he said.
Magomedov, who goes by the nickname Shara Bullet, has a record of 17 wins and 1 loss. He is currently ranked 15th in the middleweight division, while Adesanya is ranked ninth. His only loss was a decision against Michael Page in February 2025. Since then, he has won against Marc-Andre Barriault and Michel Pereira, both on points. He called out Adesanya after his win over Pereira.
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