Adesanya cited the reason for the long break in his career

Recall that the Nigerian will fight current titleholder South Africa's Dricus Du Plessis in the main event of UFC 305 in Perth, Australia as early as the night of August 18.

"I consciously took a break because I had three or four fights in a year as a champion, for crying out loud. I even had someone from the UFC telling me to slow down. But I was too stubborn and said I had to fight in Sydney at UFC 293. Looking back, I realize I should have stopped. Sometimes life forces you to listen to yourself and your body. After the fight with Shawn, I decided to do that. My body isn't what it was when I was younger. So I decided to give it time and just find myself," Adesanya told UFC.