Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has vowed to return to the octagon despite suffering his third straight loss and second career knockout against Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Fight Night 250 in Saudi Arabia.

The Nigerian-born New Zealander addressed fans on social media after the second-round TKO defeat, showing his trademark resilience.

“As real as it gets, @ufc. Rolled the dice…snake eyes. I’ll be back, gone to get some milk,” Adesanya wrote.

The 35-year-old had hoped to end his losing streak after previous defeats to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 and Dricus du Plessis at UFC 305. However, his comeback attempt was halted by the surging French contender.

Despite a strong start with damaging leg kicks, Adesanya was rocked late in the first round by a stiff shovel hook. Imavov capitalized in the second round, dropping Adesanya with a powerful right hand before finishing him with ground strikes, prompting referee Marc Goddard to stop the fight.

This marks the first time in six years that Adesanya has competed without a title at stake, bringing his professional record to 24 wins (16 knockouts) and 4 losses. Three of those defeats have come in the past year.

Before the fight, Adesanya had downplayed retirement talks, asserting, “I’m always in the title picture. That’s because I’m Israel Adesanya, and I’ve done so much in this game.”

Following the loss, fans were divided on his future. Some urged him to retire, while others expressed support for his resilience and skill.

“You got nothing left to prove, brother! Leave the game,” one fan commented.

Others, however, encouraged him to keep going. “You looked sharp tonight. Everyone gets caught—it’s part of the game. Rest up and come back stronger.”

For Imavov (15-4), this victory marks the biggest of his career and could put him in line for a title shot following wins over Roman Dolidze, Jared Cannonier, and Brendan Allen.

Though Adesanya recently joked about being a “gatekeeper” in the sport, his defiant response suggests he isn’t ready to step away just yet.