# Israel Adesanya
**Israel Adesanya** is a Nigerian-born New Zealand professional mixed martial artist and former kickboxer who competed for the UFC middleweight championship, which he won in 2019, lost to [Alex Pereira](https://www.edgepedia.org/alex-pereira) in 2022, and regained in 2023 before losing it again later that year. He fights under the nickname "The Last Stylebender" and is known for an evasive, feint-heavy striking style built on his kickboxing background.[1](https://glorykickboxing.com/fighters/israel-adesanya) • [2](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/israel-adesanya?language_content_entity=en&page=1)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | Lagos, Nigeria; moved to New Zealand with his family in 2001[1](https://glorykickboxing.com/fighters/israel-adesanya) |
| Physical | 1.9 m, 84 kg, middleweight; listed by GLORY with New Zealand nationality[1](https://glorykickboxing.com/fighters/israel-adesanya) |
| Kickboxing base | Undefeated over 32 amateur fights; pro debut in 2010; GLORY record 2 wins, 2 losses[1](https://glorykickboxing.com/fighters/israel-adesanya) • [3](https://www.sportingnews.com/uk/mma/news/how-old-israel-adesanya-bio-age-career-record-stats-fights-ufc-champion/iz6ywyjosek7lsyqegmruutv) |
| UFC title | Knocked out Robert Whittaker at 3:33 of round two at UFC 243 (10/6/19) to unify and become undisputed middleweight champion[2](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/israel-adesanya?language_content_entity=en&page=1) |
| Pereira rivalry | Lost the belt by fifth-round knockout to Alex Pereira at UFC 281 (November 12, 2022), then regained it by knockout about five months later[4](https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/la-ultima-bala-de-adesanya-n/) |
| Later title-fight losses | Lost the title to Sean Strickland by unanimous decision at UFC 293, and as the challenger, lost to Dricus Du Plessis by fourth-round submission on August 17 in Perth[4](https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/la-ultima-bala-de-adesanya-n/) • [5](https://www.arabtimesonline.com/arabtimes/uploads/images/2025/02/09/52122.pdf) |
| Team | City Kickboxing, Auckland, under head coach Eugene Bareman[1](https://glorykickboxing.com/fighters/israel-adesanya) |
## Early life and entry into martial arts
Adesanya was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and moved to New Zealand with his family in 2001.[1](https://glorykickboxing.com/fighters/israel-adesanya) As a teenager he was bullied by racists, and his academic ability and love of dancing made him a further target for abuse; he has said the physical and emotional scars from those incidents drove his decision to pursue martial arts.[6](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/africa/56243330) At 18 he quit his computer science degree program to commit to kickboxing.[6](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/africa/56243330)
Dance shaped his movement before fighting did. He joined break dance groups and considered it professionally, and he credits dance with improving his coordination and flexibility.[7](https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/israel-adesanya-del-bullying-a-ser-uno-de-los-campeones-miticos-de-la-ufc-f202603-n/) [Jackie Chan](https://www.edgepedia.org/jackie-chan) films drew him toward contact sports, and he began [Muay Thai](https://www.edgepedia.org/muay-thai) and kickboxing, debuting in Muay Thai six weeks after starting.[7](https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/israel-adesanya-del-bullying-a-ser-uno-de-los-campeones-miticos-de-la-ufc-f202603-n/)
## Kickboxing career
Adesanya took up Muay Thai in Whanganui under Derek Broughton, then moved to Auckland, where he began a professional kickboxing career under Eugene Bareman at City Kickboxing.[1](https://glorykickboxing.com/fighters/israel-adesanya) He ran through the New Zealand kickboxing scene undefeated over 32 fights before moving to China to live and fight.[1](https://glorykickboxing.com/fighters/israel-adesanya) He made his professional kickboxing debut in 2010 following that amateur record of 32-0, competed for King in the Ring and GLORY, and won multiple tournaments.[3](https://www.sportingnews.com/uk/mma/news/how-old-israel-adesanya-bio-age-career-record-stats-fights-ufc-champion/iz6ywyjosek7lsyqegmruutv)
His overall kickboxing record is given as 75 wins and 4 losses on his GLORY fighter page, while a Spanish-language profile gives 75 wins and 5 losses.[1](https://glorykickboxing.com/fighters/israel-adesanya) • [7](https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/israel-adesanya-del-bullying-a-ser-uno-de-los-campeones-miticos-de-la-ufc-f202603-n/) The last fight of his kickboxing career was a loss to Alex Pereira, who later joined the UFC.[3](https://www.sportingnews.com/uk/mma/news/how-old-israel-adesanya-bio-age-career-record-stats-fights-ufc-champion/iz6ywyjosek7lsyqegmruutv) Pereira had beaten Adesanya twice in kickboxing before either man entered MMA.[4](https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/la-ultima-bala-de-adesanya-n/)
## UFC career
In December 2017 Adesanya signed with the [Ultimate Fighting Championship](https://www.edgepedia.org/ultimate-fighting-championship), which he described as MMA's highest-profile and most lucrative company.[6](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/africa/56243330) He debuted in MMA in 2012 with a TKO win and built an 11-fight winning streak before the UFC signed him in 2017; ten fights after his UFC debut he was middleweight champion, taking the place of his reference point, [Anderson Silva](https://www.edgepedia.org/anderson-silva).[7](https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/israel-adesanya-del-bullying-a-ser-uno-de-los-campeones-miticos-de-la-ufc-f202603-n/)
His defining win came at [UFC 243](https://www.edgepedia.org/ufc-243) in Melbourne, where he knocked out [Robert Whittaker](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-whittaker) at 3:33 of the second round to unify the interim and lineal titles and become undisputed UFC middleweight champion.[2](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/israel-adesanya?language_content_entity=en&page=1) He then defended the belt against [Marvin Vettori](https://www.edgepedia.org/marvin-vettori) in 2021 and beat Whittaker again, both by unanimous decision, followed by a win over Jared Cannonier.[4](https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/la-ultima-bala-de-adesanya-n/)
The Pereira rivalry then resurfaced in MMA. At [UFC 281](https://www.edgepedia.org/ufc-281) at [Madison Square Garden](https://www.edgepedia.org/madison-square-garden) on November 12, 2022, Pereira, in only his third UFC fight, knocked Adesanya out in the fifth round and took the middleweight title.[4](https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/la-ultima-bala-de-adesanya-n/) Five months later Adesanya knocked Pereira out to recover the belt.[4](https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/la-ultima-bala-de-adesanya-n/) In his next defense, at [UFC 293](https://www.edgepedia.org/ufc-293) in Sydney, Sean Strickland beat him by a clear unanimous decision, and Adesanya took an extended break afterward.[4](https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/la-ultima-bala-de-adesanya-n/) • [8](https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-293-adesanya-vs-strickland-results-highlights-winner-interviews-sydney) He returned to challenge Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305 and lost by fourth-round submission on August 17 in Perth, Du Plessis's second title defense.[5](https://www.arabtimesonline.com/arabtimes/uploads/images/2025/02/09/52122.pdf) A further comeback was set against Joe Pyfer at a UFC Fight Night in Seattle on March 28, announced by UFC president Dana White.[9](https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/adesanya-vuelve-al-ruedo-f202601-n/)
## Fighting style
Adesanya's game is built on striking. Analysts describe superb feints and distance management, a patient and varied attack, constant stance switching, and jabs thrown from below the opponent's guard because he keeps his hands low.[10](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/The-Film-Room-Israel-Adesanya-162921) He sets traps with layered feints, reading how opponents react and reusing the same feint to set up combinations later in a fight, and he can change a kick in mid-swing, notably the question mark kick thrown as a front kick and converted into a round kick.[10](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/The-Film-Room-Israel-Adesanya-162921)
His defense relies on footwork and evasive movement rather than blocking, in the manner of Anderson Silva, whom many have compared him to.[10](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/The-Film-Room-Israel-Adesanya-162921) That approach has known costs: pressure and long combinations can force him straight back toward the cage, a weakness the [Kelvin Gastelum](https://www.edgepedia.org/kelvin-gastelum) fight exposed, and analysts note he is less effective fighting while moving backward under heavy, high-volume fire.[10](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/The-Film-Room-Israel-Adesanya-162921) • [11](https://cowovermoon.ca/biomechanical-collapse-israel-adesanya-vs-joe-pyfer-analysis-power-shift) Against the ground game his takedown defense was strong, denying 85 percent of takedowns through his early UFC run, though he had not yet faced a grappling-based fighter at that point.[10](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/The-Film-Room-Israel-Adesanya-162921)
His showmanship is part of the package: GLORY's profile describes a flamboyant style with athletic kicks, leaping attacks, dropped hands, and taunting opponents into missing badly.[1](https://glorykickboxing.com/fighters/israel-adesanya) The nickname "The Last Stylebender" reflects his immersion in dance culture and his interest in anime, and he adjusts his movement and skills to match each opponent.[12](https://www.ecologicalsubmissiongrappling.com/uploads/b/41457c20-c9dd-11ee-b879-6fa428a5d1ad/6f33b8f0-1783-11ef-ad53-7b36fc0fc2d3.pdf)
## References
1. [Israel Adesanya, GLORY Kickboxing fighter page](https://glorykickboxing.com/fighters/israel-adesanya)
2. [Israel Adesanya, UFC athlete profile](https://www.ufc.com/athlete/israel-adesanya?language_content_entity=en&page=1)
3. [How old is Israel Adesanya? Bio, age, career record, stats, title fights, Sporting News](https://www.sportingnews.com/uk/mma/news/how-old-israel-adesanya-bio-age-career-record-stats-fights-ufc-champion/iz6ywyjosek7lsyqegmruutv)
4. [La última bala de Adesanya, AS](https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/la-ultima-bala-de-adesanya-n/)
5. [Arab Times fight results PDF, February 2025](https://www.arabtimesonline.com/arabtimes/uploads/images/2025/02/09/52122.pdf)
6. [Israel Adesanya: From being bullied by racists to UFC champion, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/africa/56243330)
7. [Israel Adesanya, del bullying a ser uno de los campeones míticos de la UFC, AS](https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/israel-adesanya-del-bullying-a-ser-uno-de-los-campeones-miticos-de-la-ufc-f202603-n/)
8. [UFC 293: Adesanya vs Strickland Results, UFC.com](https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-293-adesanya-vs-strickland-results-highlights-winner-interviews-sydney)
9. [Adesanya vuelve al ruedo, AS](https://as.com/masdeporte/polideportivo/adesanya-vuelve-al-ruedo-f202601-n/)
10. [The Film Room: Israel Adesanya, Sherdog](https://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/The-Film-Room-Israel-Adesanya-162921)
11. [The Biomechanical Collapse of Israel Adesanya vs Joe Pyfer, Cowovermoon](https://cowovermoon.ca/biomechanical-collapse-israel-adesanya-vs-joe-pyfer-analysis-power-shift)
12. [Applying an ecological dynamics framework to mixed martial arts training](https://www.ecologicalsubmissiongrappling.com/uploads/b/41457c20-c9dd-11ee-b879-6fa428a5d1ad/6f33b8f0-1783-11ef-ad53-7b36fc0fc2d3.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Combat sports and professional wrestling › Mixed martial arts › Welterweight and middleweight fighters › Middleweight fighters*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license