Win or lose at UFC 271 against Robert Whittaker, the UFC won’t have to worry about the state of middleweight champion Israel Adesanya for the foreseeable future. It is revealed that Adesanya has signed a new, multi-fight deal with the UFC.
Paradigm Sports, who represents Adesanya, as well as Conor McGregor and Cris Cyborg, announced the deal via a press release. Adesanya’s new contract is billed as “one of the most lucrative multi-battle deals in the company’s history.”
THAN: Date, time, odds, PPV price, tags and location of Israel Adesanya vs Robert Whittaker 2 UFC 271 bout
“We are very pleased with the terms of Israel’s new advertising agreement with the UFC,” said Tim Simpson, Adesanya’s manager. via MMA Fighting. “Israel truly deserves the position he is in, and we look forward to a few more prosperous years with the UFC.”
One interesting aspect of the deal is that Adesanya has officially agreed to sign a deal with Whittaker this week. Paradigm has stated that Adesanya’s new deal will make him one of the “highest paid athletes in mixed martial arts history”. In a word, he raked in $640,000 weightlifting to face then-UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259.
Contract negotiations appeared to have dragged on for months before this week.
Adesanya made his MMA debut in 2012. He has been 10-1 in the UFC since his promotion in 2018. After defeating Whittaker for the middleweight title at UFC 243, he successfully defended it first. Yoel Romero, Paulo Costa and Marvin Vettori. One of the most recognizable names in the sport, Adesanya is looking to upend its value inside the Toyota Center in Houston.
The news comes after UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou defeated Ciryl Gane at UFC 270. Due to the end of his current contract, Ngannou is seeking a raise from the UFC. Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is also looking for a raise, trying to negotiate with the UFC as he moves into heavyweight.
