Israel Adesanya is looking for a change in his corner.
The former UFC middleweight champion announced Thursday that he has parted ways with his longtime head coach Eugene Bareman and the City Kickboxing Gym (CKB) in New Zealand.
Adesanaya had officially trained out of CKB since 2010.
“I spoke to Eugene face-to-face and I told him I am not coming back to CKB,” Adesanya said in a post on Instagram. “This was something a long time coming behind the scenes and we have an understanding. I won’t lie, it sucks. Not anymore. Grief comes in waves for me, for most people. It comes in waves. I’ve had great days, but I’ve also had days where (it sucks).”
The 36-year-old Adesanya is currently riding a four-fight losing streak, with his most recent defeat coming by way of TKO against Joe Pyfer at a UFC Fight Night event in March.
Adesanya, who owns a career 24-6 record in MMA, said the split came from his need to try something different.
“It’s bittersweet, but it’s the right thing for me, especially where I’m at in my career,” he said. “It’s exactly what I needed. Insanity is doing the same s–t and expecting a different result. I think that’s it.”
Adesanya claimed the middleweight belt in 2021, beating Marvin Vettori by unanimous decision. He then defended his title six times before losing to Alex Pereira at UFC 281, but won it back in a rematch shortly after.
Sean Strickland, however, took the belt from Adesanya once again at UFC 293.
Despite parting ways with CKB, Adesanya made sure to credit his former team for helping him reach the level he did in the UFC.
“CKB made me into the fighter that I am today. They’ve trained a lot of great fighters — greats even better than myself,” he said. “But me as an individual, CKB made me into the fighter I am today. But also, I was one of the main pillars who put CKB on the map on the world stage, to take it to the next level where people all over the world want to come train at CKB. I’m proud of that.”
Adesanaya didn’t say where he will train going forward or get into the specifics of his departure, but added that he needs “focused, individual training.”