Israel Adesanya is a courageous and brave man who conquers people through strength and talent. He is familiar with an art that portrays him uniquely.
He has magnificent abilities to disguise his talent. Adesanya is a person who values simplicity and moral terms in the first place.
Israel Adesanya is a renowned mixed martial artist. He has successfully won millions of hearts via his capabilities.
Adesanya, in fact, is a magnificent martial artist. He holds the capacity to captivate anyone with his marvelous performance.
The major goal of any mixed martial artist would be mastery. Hence, this guy has prominently received it.
Let’s get into the journey; he has set so far. Before we dive in, let’s have a look at a few of the quick facts.
Israel Adesanya | Quick Facts
| Full Name | Israel Mobolaji Temitayo Odunayo Oluwafemi Owolabi Adesanya |
| Nick Name | Last Style Bender |
| Age | 32 years old |
| Height | 6 feet 4 inches (1.93m) |
| Weight | 84kg |
| Horoscope | Caner-Leo Astrological Cusp |
| Date Of Birth | July 22, 1989 |
| Birth Place | Lagos, Nigeria |
| Gender | Male |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
| Religion | Atheist |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Ethnicity | Nigerian |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Eye Colour | Black |
| Skin Colour | Black |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Relationship Status | Single (not dating anyone) |
| Kids | None |
| Father’s Name | Oluwafemi |
| Mother’s Name | Taiwo |
| Siblings | 5; names aren’t public |
| High School | Rotorua Boys’ High School |
| University | Not Available |
| Graduated Year | Not Available |
| Profession | Mixed Martial Artist |
| Active from | 2010 |
| Rank In Welterweight Kickboxing | Third or #3 |
| Team | Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Team |
| Total Kickboxing Record | 80 so far |
| Total MMA Record | 20-0-0 |
| Net Worth | $2 million approx. |
| Salary | $30k – $35k |
| Social Media | Instagram, Facebook, Twitter |
| Merch | Poster, Sweatshirt |
| Last Update | July, 2022 |
Israel Adesanya | Background Information
The birth of Israel Adesanya occurred on July 22, 1989. He is your typical Nigerian, an accomplished mixed martial artist from New Zealand, and a former kickboxer and boxer.
He recently joined the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and is a well-known mixed martial artist, as his mother, Nigeria, is the Middleweight Champion.
Israel has a 20 win, 0 loss record and is undefeated. He has previously won the Glory middleweight contender competition, is undisputed in the ring, and has won the cruiserweight and heavyweight titles in kickboxing twice.
As of September 29, 2020, he is third on the UFC men’s pound lists. In the world of mixed martial arts, Israel is primarily regarded as one of the best strikers.
Context
Nigeria’s Lagos is the birthplace of Israel. Of the five children, he is the oldest. His mother Taiwo is a nurse, and his father Oluwafemi is an accountant.
He attended Chrisland School in Opebi and joined the Taekwondo after-school club there up until his mother had to expel him because of a serious injury. In 1999, he spent ten months in Ghana with his entire family.
Nevertheless, he moved to Rotorua, New Zealand, when he was 10 years old to attend Rotorua Boys’ High School because his friends wanted their children to receive a renowned higher education.
While still in high school, Israel was more interested in Japanese anime, such as Naruto and other series.
He experienced intense bullying throughout his time in high school, and he attributes his decision to pursue martial arts later on to the abuse he endured.
At the age of 18, Israel started kickboxing training after watching the Muay Thai movie Ong-Bak as motivation. Before leaving to fight in China, he compiles a 32-0 unproven kickboxing record.
At the age of 21, Israel moved to Auckland, New Zealand, where he began training in mixed martial arts (MMA) under Eugene Bareman at City Kickboxing against only a few opponents: Dan Hooker, Kai Kara-France, and Alexander Volkanovski.
Under Andrei Păuleţ of Romania and New Zealand, he is in the lead. Israel has many languages.
Early Years
Israel defeated Tim Antonio by unanimous decision in May 2010 to win the first match of his seven-match winning streak.
In almost sole competition with Wu Lin Feng, he won his subsequent six fights as well. Due to his winning streak, he was given a spot in the 80 kg 2014 Kunlun Fight match, which was part of Kunlun Fight 2.
He lost to Simon Marcus in the semifinal contest after a split decision in the extra round. Later, Israel battled Filip Verlinden at Glory 15, where he displayed his honor.
Verlinden won the fight thanks to popular vote. Three months after their initial match, they scheduled a rematch at Glory of Heroes 3, with Israel winning by wide margin.
Israel Adesanya: Professional King in the Ring competitions
In the King in the Ring Cruiserweights II contest, Israel took part. He won by a wide margin over Slava Alexeichik in the quarterfinal.
He won the match with Jamie Eades’ smash after knocking out Pati Afoa in the semifinal. He took part in the 2015 Cruiserweights III contest six months later.
With Pati Afoa’s first-round smash, he made professional knockouts of Kim Loudon and Mark Timms, giving each of them the opportunity to fight again in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds.
Going up in numbers, Israel also competed in The Heavyweights III in 2015. He defeated Dan Roberts by KO in the semifinal and Nase Foai by TKO in the quarterfinal before facing Jamie Eades in the championship match.
In the 2014 Cruiserweight Match final, they had previously faced each other. Israel won the game, according to public opinion.
Middleweight contest for glory
Israel would prevail in five of his subsequent six matches, defeating Bogdan Stoica and Yousri Belgaroui.
As a result of this run, he failed to defeat Alex Pereira, the pound-for-pound superior and eventual GLORY Middleweight champion. in the eyes of the public, he lost the battle. Israel competed in the Glory Middleweight Contender contest in 2016.
In the semifinals, he defeated Robert Thomas by popular vote. He then defeated Yousri Belgaroui in a split decision to win the match.
At Glory 37, which took place in Los Angeles, he competed against Jason Wilnis for the middleweight title of the organization.
Even though some people questioned the fight’s results, Wilnis was deemed the winner by consensus.
His final kickboxing match before switching to mixed martial arts was a rescheduled contest with Alex Pereira at Glory of Heroes 7.
Later, Pereira knocked out Israel, leaving him vulnerable to a cutting left hook in the third round.
career in boxing
Cruiserweight II in the Super 8 Boxing Tournament
In November 2014, Israel stepped up his skilled boxing performance against Daniel Ammann, a two-time Australian champion.
He received one of the two wildcards available for the cruiserweight Super 8 Boxing match’s opening round.
The game at Auckland, New Zealand’s North Shore Events Centre was given a name by Shane Cameron and Kali Meehan.
When he appeared to have defeated Ammann in the quarterfinals, he was given a dubious defeat by the jury.
Israel participated in the Super 8 match once more in May 2015, this time in Christchurch’s Horncastle Arena.
The winner of the other cruiserweight series received NZD 25,000 and a new car.
He defeated fellow New Zealander Asher Derbyshire in the first seed and won the match. Next, Israel struck out his opponent.
Israel received a bulk choice next to Lance Bryant in the other fight of the contest. He defeated Brian Minto in the match’s finale on a split decision.
Super 8 Boxing Competition: III Cruiserweight
Israel also took part in the 2015 Super 8 Cruiserweight competition.
By popular vote, he defeated Lance Bryant in the semifinals, and he finished the cruiserweight division by defeating Zane Hopman in the final.
Career in mixed martial arts
Israel made his professional debut in 2012 by defeating James Griffiths via TKO. He defeated John Vake by additional TKO before taking a two-year break from mixed martial arts.
Israel transitioned to MMA in August 2015 after defeating Song Kenan via TKO. He would eventually compile an 8-0 unbeaten record while frequently competing in the Chinese line.
During this time, he defeated Melvin Guillard via first-round TKO to win the AFC Middleweight Championship at Australia Fighting Championship 20.
He also won the Middleweight title in the Hex Fight Series by knocking out Stuart Dare in the head-round.
Fighting Championship Ultimate
Around December 2017, it was reported that Israel had approved a deal with the UFC. On February 11, 2018, he made his debut next to Rob Wilkinson at UFC 221. The next step was a technical knockout, which won him the match.
He received the Performance of the Night reward for his victory. On April 14, 2018, Israel’s next match resulted in a standing victory over Marvin Vettori at UFC on Fox 29.
By a split vote, he prevailed in the competition. Israel next encountered Brad Tavares at The Ultimate Fighter 27 Finale on July 6, 2018.
He won the one-sided fight thanks to popular opinion. With this victory, he also received the Performance of the Night trophy.
At UFC 230 on November 3, 2018, Israel and Derek Brunson fought. He won the fight via a specific first-round knockout.
He won Performance of the Night three times in a row thanks to this match. Additionally, read about the ferocious MMA fighter Derek Brunson. To learn more, click the following link:
On February 10, 2019, Israel faced former UFC Middleweight champion Anderson Silva in what was originally intended to serve as the co-main event of UFC 234.
He was chosen by the crowd to fight. Both competitors shared the fight of the night prize for this conflict.
Middleweight Championship of the UFC
On April 13, 2019, Israel defeated Kelvin Gastelum to win the interim UFC Middleweight Championship. This fight took place in UFC 236’s “major issue.”
He won the heated battle by a unanimous vote. With this fight, he won the Night’s Fight of the Award.
The fight received the recommendation from the majority of MMA news outlets as the most entertaining fight of the year.
On October 6, 2019, Israel then challenged Robert Whittaker in a title-union match that was designated as UFC 243 for the UFC Middleweight Championship.
Israel won the fight by knockout in the following series after being knocked down later in the final seconds of the first round. He earned his fourth Performance of the Night trophy thanks to this triumph.
Later, on March 7, 2020, at UFC 248, Israel faced Yoel Romero, a three-time UFC title contender. By popular vote, he won the fight and successfully defended his title.
Due to both fighters’ lack of action, which led to a largely boring fight in which neither opponent could pass any significant attack, many fans and academics became frustrated.
On September 27, 2020, at UFC 253, Israel competed for another title against fellow undefeated fighter Paulo Costa.
This was the first title fight between two male mixed martial artists since 2009.
In the following round, he won the fight via professional knockout. He now has five Performance of the Night awards after this triumph.
Israel must now move up a weight class and challenges Jan Bachowicz, a professional fighter, for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship at UFC 259 on March 6, 2021.
Criticism of Israel Adesanya
The fight between Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa had “Fight of the Year” written all over it, according to UFC president Dana White.
But spectators of the fight saw Paulo Costa make a very subpar attack on UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya. The Stylebender utterly ruled Costa and pulled up a second-round stoppage win to hand Costa the first loss of his work.
With this win, Israel Adesanya has connected himself as one of the most prominent mixed martial artists of all time. Yet, there’s a cause to think that the Paulo Costa people were awaiting to show up upon Israel Adesanya was craving.
Later, being taken of an interesting match between Israel Adesanya and Yoel Romero, bout fans were earlier robbed of yet extra scene in Israel Adesanya vs. Paulo Costa’s frame.
In the post-fight presser, Dana White stated that it was a “Domination of the Year” trip for the unbeaten and indisputable king of the Middleweight division.
Paulo Costa was missing at UFC 253
Israel has gained so much regard for his high-level counter striking that even the most ardent of strikers are reluctant to take the fight head-on against Israel Adesanya.
Later back-to-back choice victories, Israel got himself among blame for requiring solid knockout power.
Next, Gastelum put up an improbable show next to Israel in five rounds of war; boxers began thinking about how using the bout to Israel Adesanya sway do the jest.
However, Israel shook the world as he got renowned as the first opponent to KO Robert Whittaker within the octagon.
Shortly after, Israel’s striking courage and his counter-punching displayed a brand.
Amidst a stoppage success of Paulo Costa, Israel remains to show why he is apparently right on top with Anderson Silva’s likes at the UFC Middleweight analysis.
Israel Adesanya alighted a cruel left hook to knock Whittaker frost to match the UFC Middleweight Champion back at UFC 243. The opponent paid the price for pushing upon Israel.
In his initial title stand upon “Soldier of God” Yoel Romero, Israel saw himself as a fighter who needed to counter-punch, pointing to a lackluster execution from both the contestants.
Romero’s plan may have been saving potential; Israel wants to hit his leads and often depends on his counter-punching into a fatal striker.
Continued…
Something alike occurred while Israel Adesanya vs. Paulo Costa, wherever Costa did not fight his normal form.
Also, Dana White proclaimed the bout “ominous” in the post-fight press circuit and felt that he did not know why Paulo Costa fought the way he met the next Israel Adesanya.
Paulo Costa was supposed to come to heavy, stress Israel, exchange strikes, and land a crushing punch to grab a stoppage win.
Yet, after all such things were said and done, Israel Adesanya compelled Paulo Costa, all the while giving him the first failure of his MMA career.
Inside into the initial session, UFC analysts could be seen applauding Paulo Costa’s endurance upon a technical striker like Israel Adesanya.
The Stylebender directed distance cleverly and was able to munch on the lead leg of Paulo Costa, giving him settled him going into the second step.
Yet there’s an exchange to be made that Paulo Costa may have been staring at bringing the bout to Israel in the later rounds and was keeping his punches to save strength; Costa led to land only 12 strikes in the entire span of the bout.
UFC president, Dana White, said that Costa could only steer a “hit” as The Stylebender defeated the most dangerous striker in the UFC.
Further
There’s a cause to trust that Paulo Costa left to match Israel’s pace and accuracy. Costa also got taken away in the theatrics, frequently calling out Israel to the octagon’s core.
Moreover, Costa did not return as he has even next to the likes of Yoel Romero.
Paulo Costa has proved with opponents who would opt to get a few punches to give any in the switch during the more extensive part.
Yet, next to someone like Israel Adesanya, it isn’t necessary. Israel doesn’t look to swap except when required.
The ultimate round upon Kelvin Gastelum, where he hit the past interim contender aside, pulled up an exciting public choice victory.
Costa’s hesitation in swapping punches could have a lot to do with Israel’s reliability as a counter striker and his strength to pick his leads, as seen upon his bout next Robert Whittaker.
Also, read about a powerful lady martial artist, Cynthia Calvillo. To learn more, click the following link:
Notwithstanding the story, Israel Adesanya is large and has hard power in his hands.
Moreover, he is lean, and his tall frame and incredible ability give him an advantage over his foes.
Israel kept Costa away from the striking way and met in with strikes whenever he sought to improve.
Amidst sustained injury on his lead leg, Israel told the game’s entire step upon a stress fighter like Paulo Costa.
It was eerie to see Costa not take the bout to the pen, although he was getting a huge victory next to Yoel Romero in his latest bout.
Be that as it may, Israel won the psychic war against Paulo Costa and was directed to ensure a stoppage success upon an unbeaten champion.
Final Thing
It was assumed that Costa could try to take the bout to the area, with several fight fans demanding for Costa to start fighting in the first round to put Israel on the back-foot.
Amidst Henry Cejudo crossing all the way down to Brazil to teach and support Paulo Costa, the Brazilian lost to mix his game upon a sharp striker like Israel.
Following all the drama encompassing BJJ, it was shocking to see Paulo Costa not go for the take-down even once and get connected in a trash-talk while frequently asking Israel Adesanya to come to the center of the octagon.
Israel was ready to abuse Paulo Costa’s game-plan and manage the speed of the bout.
He was ready to pick his shots upon one of the most dangerous strikers in the UFC and pull up a stoppage triumph upon a fighter who has done next Yoel Romero’s likes Uriah Hall and Johnny Hendricks and nevermore once strayed off from his form.
Paulo Costa forever led the bout head-on, fit for a slug-fest even upon the likes of Romero.
When Paulo Costa did seem calm in the initial round, it just wasn’t the right choice to completely replace his combat form in a large matchup versus Israel Adesanya for the UFC Middleweight Championship.
Israel Adesanya | Personal Life
Before taking up fighting, Adesanya always faced in dance contests over New Zealand. He highlighted his love for dancing in a choreographed strike at UFC 243.
He is a fan of anime and wants to start an anime production company after retiring from fighting.
His nickname “The Last Stylebender” refers to Avatar: The Last Airbender, an anime-influenced cartoon series.
Israel has the form of one of the show’s central characters, Toph Beifong, tattooed on his forearm. Likewise, he has endorsed the 2020 New Zealand cannabis referendum.
Moreover, Adesanya shifted to become the first mixed martial arts champion to sign a Puma sponsorship deal in September 2020.
Israel Adesanya | Net Worth, Bonus & Endorsement Deals
While he debuted at UFC 221 upon Rob Wilkinson, Israel was on a deal that got him $50k show capital with a win premium of $50k. This is large for someone debuting in the group.
Making your sham and win salary distinctly is a hostile point in combat sports, but it’s hard to adjust anything else without enough force.
That night in Australia, Israel ended Wilkinson in the next round, getting the match and winning premium and getting the Night premium’s Performance, saving him an extra $50k.
With the money he made from his Reebok aid, Israel made an awesome $153k for his first UFC bout.
As his other fight upon Marvin Vettori, Israel’s deal went from $50k/$50k to $53k/$53k.
Sadly, he didn’t get a bonus that evening. According to The Sports Daily, Israel had career earnings of $2,928,500.
In the meantime, Israel Adesanya portrays brand endorsement deals with ENGAGE and Peak Milk. Likewise, he also has partnered with the immensely popular Call of Duty.
With ENGAGE, Israel has his own signature line of t-shirts, hoodies, and even accessories. Additionally, he is also the brand ambassador of Stake.Com.
Also, read about another fierce mixed martial artist, Chito Vera. To learn more, click the following link:
Furthermore
It means he made $106k. His next bout was the main game spot, and just like it did in the bout earlier, his show and win capital raised by $3k, each, now at $56k/$56k.
Once again, he got the Performance of The Night, making him $162k that evening.
Leaping ahead a few rounds by the time he encountered Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236 for the interim Middleweight championship in the 2019 Fight of the Year.
Israel Adesanya had fought his way up to a $350k flat fee, eliminating his win bonus. Forward with the $50k fight of the Night bonus, he took back $400k that night.
It’s not strange that he was given a bonus after closed doors, as Dana White has usually done when competitors face like he did that evening.
Lastly, going into his last bout at UFC 253 with Paulo Costa, Israel was confirmed a large $600k.
On top of that, his Reebok support money is now at the official level for winners, $40k.
Usually, with his dismantling of the Brazillian, he got $50k for having the Performance of the Night, adding almost $700k
Israel Adesanya | Quotes
- “If you want to beat me, you should have done it yesterday because every single day, I’m getting better.”
- “I draw a lot of inspiration from cartoon characters because they’re more real than most people.”
- “I just speak facts, no shade. But if the shoe fits, lace ’em up.”
Social Media Presence:
Israel Adesanya is quite active on social media. You can follow him via these links.
Instagram: 4.1 million followers (@stylebender)
Facebook: 1 million followers (@thelaststylebender)
Twitter: 766.2k followers (@stylebender)
Some FAQs:
How do you pronounce Israel Adesanya?
Where does Israel Adesanya live currently?
Israel Adesanya currently lives in Auckland, New Zealand, with his family.
What does Israel Adesanya’s fighting style include?
Israel Adesanya’s fighting style includes kickboxing and boxing.
What is Israel Adesanya’s loss record?
Israel Adesanya has a professional record of 21 wins, 1 loss, and 0 draws.
How many tattoos does Israel Adesanya have?
Israel Adesanya is reported to have at least 7 tattoos inked on his body.
Who knocked out Israel Adesanya?
Israel Adesanya was knocked out by Alex Pereira while fighting in Glory of Heroes 7 in 2017.
What song did Israel Adesanya walkout to UFC 263?
Israel Adesanya walked out to the song “Somewhere I Belong” by Linkin Park to UFC 263.
How many fights has Israel Adesanya lost so far?
The Stylebender has fought in 80 known kickboxing bouts, garnering a record of 75 triumphs and five losses to date.
Which car does Israel Adesanya drive? Does he have a house?
Israel Adesanya drives an orange McLaren 720s Spider, which is valued at over $650,000.
Well, this car is known for a 4.0-liter V-8 engine drive train named “Kurama,” referring to the anime Naruto.
Is Israel Adesanya southpaw?
In his knockout over Whittaker, Israel usually closed up with some bizarre striking exchanges; while he competed in his usual standard position, he regularly ended exchanges in a southpaw position.
What is Israel Adesanya’s career statistic like?
Israel Adesanya has five wins and a loss in the professional boxing arena. Likewise, he has 75 wins and five losses in the kickboxing arena. For his martial arts record, he has 21 wins and a loss.
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