Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya isn’t quite ready to call it a career just yet.

Adesanya (24-6 MMA, 13-6 UFC) dropped his fourth fight in a row when he suffered a second-round TKO loss to Joe Pyfer in the UFC Fight Night 271 main event this past February.

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Adesanya, 36, explained why he’s finding it hard to walk away despite achieving a career worthy of the UFC Hall of Fame.

“Even if we take a hit, like I said, four in a row for me, no matter what, the equity might be down, but we’re still up than most people who even came into this game,” Adesanya said on Demetrious Johnson’s YouTube channel. “That’s something I don’t want to rest on. Because I’m not going to be like, ‘Well, I’ve done what I had to do. I can lose now.’

“Nah, f*ck that. Also, my ego is very tied into this. I know what I can do still. For me, I don’t want this to be the writing of my story because I feel like, yes, I took part in this, but this is not how I want to conclude this chapter of my life. So, that’s why I’m adamant that the grass is green on this side, and I can tend to it and garden it properly, and let it be lush and bloom properly.”

Adesanya defended his UFC middleweight belt five times – second behind only Anderson Silva for most title defenses in the division’s history. After Alex Pereira ended his reign at UFC 281, he reclaimed his title by avenging his loss to “Poatan” at UFC 287 in April 2023 but hasn’t won a fight since.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Former UFC champ admits ‘ego’ getting in way of retirement