Israel Adesanya is a #Nigerian and New Zealand professional mixed martial artist, kickboxer, and former boxer with multiple championships in all three disciplines.
As a mixed martial artist, he currently competes in the Middleweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the current and two-time UFC Middleweight Champion. In kickboxing, he is a former Glory Middleweight Championship title challenger.
As of March 21, 2023, he is #5 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings.
BACKGROUND
Israel Mobolaji Adesanya was born on 22 July 1989. He is a Nigerian-New Zealand professional Mixed Martial Artis. He was born in Lagos, the eldest of five children.
His father, Oluwafemi, is an accountant and his mother, Taiwo, is a nurse. Adesanya attended Chrisland School, Opebi, and enrolled in its Taekwondo after-school club until he was removed by his mother due to an injury. In 1999, he relocated to Ghana with his family for 10 months, but due to his parents wanting their children to receive a well-recognised higher education, he settled in Rotorua, New Zealand at age 10.
He was bullied during his high school years and attributes the mistreatment he experienced to his decision to pursue martial arts later in life.
Israel made his professional debut in 2012. Thereafter, he fought in Hong Kong, Australia and China over the next half a decade before he was finally signed by the UFC ( Ultimate Fighting Championship ), in December, 2017. On his debut, he beat Rob Wilkinson via TKO in the second round at UFC ( Ultimate Fighting Championship ) 221 in February 2018.
He also won the Performance of the Night bonus for that fight. Thereafter he picked up victories over Marvin Vettori, Brad Tavares and Derek Brunson Fox 29, 230 and 234 respectively. In UFC 243, The Last Stylebender defeated Robert Whittaker to become Middleweight Champion. With a record of 20 wins and only one loss, Israel Adesanya is on track to establish a reputation that will place him as a Mixed Martial Arts legend.
His aggressive fighting style, and confidence in facing opponents, as seen from his antics in the octagon and his interviews, gives off a fearless persona, a core feature that has endeared him to fans.
Not only Israel’s persona make him intimidating, his record makes opponents get cold feet. Of his 20 wins, Israel has defeated his opponent by Knock Out on 15 occasions.
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