One of the finest mixed martial artists right now is Israel Adesanya, a former professional boxer from Nigeria nicknamed as “The Last Stylebender.” He is currently among the best MMA fighters. Israel is dazzling the entire globe with his incredible ringside performance and abilities.
Israel Adesanya, a professional mixed martial artist from Nigeria who now resides in New Zealand, was born on July 19, 1989. Among the five children of his accountant father Oluwafemi and nurse mother Taiwo, he is the oldest son. When he sustained an injury, his mother had him withdrawn from Taekwondo sessions. Israel and his family went to Ghana in 1999, but after ten months, he relocated to New Zealand to pursue further education.
Due to his success in MMA, Adesanya has earned a spot only given to the top competitors. He is one of the most successful MMA fighters from Nigeria. His fearlessness in the face of opponents and his aggressive fighting style propelled him to the top. His record is astounding and his personality is incredibly threatening, which makes the opponent’s feet cold.
Israel Career and Personal Profile
Israel started to train for kickboxing at the age of 18 inspired by the movie named Ong Bak: Muay Thai Warrior. At the age of 21, he moved to New Zealand and joined the City Kickboxing team of Oakland.
- Full Name: Israel Mobolaji Temitayo Odunayo Oluwafemi Owolabi Adesanya
- Nickname: The Last Stylebender
- Date of Birth: July 22, 1989 (age 32 years)
- Place of Birth: Lagos, Nigeria
- Nationality: Nigerian, New Zealander
- Weight: 91 kg (201 lb; 14 st 5 lb)
- Height: 193 cm (6 ft 4 in)
- Reach: 80 in (203 cm)
- Division: Middleweight (2012–present); Light Heavyweight (2021)
- Education: Chrisland School, The Bells Secondary School, Rotorua High School, Universal College of Learning in Whanganui
- Father: Oluwafemi Adesanya
- Mother: Taiwo Adesanya
- Siblings: Deborah Adesanya, Samuel Adesanya, David Adesanya, Bolu Adesanya
- Marital Status: Single
- Team: City Kickboxing (2010–present)
- Sport: Professional Kickboxing, Mixed Martial Arts
- Active: 2009–present
- Zodiac Sign: Cancer
- Net Worth: $2 Million(estimated)
Professional Kickboxing Career
Israel made his professional kickboxing debut in May 2010 by defeating Tim Antonio by unanimous decision to begin his seven-match winning run. In his following match, he faced Chinese fighter Wu Len Fing. He gained notoriety in the world of professional kickboxing thanks to his winning streak. Adesanya won the Cruiserweights II competition on the regional circuit in New Zealand twice. He subsequently proceeded on to the Heavyweight championship III, where he defeated Jamie Eades and won by a unanimous vote.
At Glory Middleweight Championship, Israel’s statistics are not particularly noteworthy. He competed in three championships, but he came in last in each one. His final professional kickboxing match took place at Glory Heroes 7 against Alex Pereira, who knocked Adesanya out in the third round with a quick left hook. He established a kickboxing record of 75-5 prior to retiring.
MMA and UFC Career
In 2012, Adesanya defeated James Griffiths via TKO to make his MMA debut. After a two-year absence from the sport, he returned and began an 8-0 winning streak, during which he captured the AFC title in Australia.
He joined the UFC in December 2017 and debuted in 2018 at UFC 221 against Rob Wilkinson. He prevailed through TKO. The UFC 221 “Performance of the Night” was it. Israel next faced off against Martin Vettori and Brad Tavares, winning both fights by unanimous decision. He defeated Derek Brunson and once more received the “Performance of the Night” honor.
The Last Stylebender’s only defeat at MMA is against Jan Blachowicz at UFC light-Heavyweight Championship. He then returned to Middleweight and fight against Vettori to defend his Middleweight title. He won the match and extend his title defense to 3 streak defense. His current MMA stats are 21-1. Out of 21 wins, he defeated the opponent by KnockOut 15 times. These stats prove that Israel Adsenaya is not an average fighter.
