Israel Adesanya

"Stylebender" redirects here. For the 2023 film, see Stylebender (film).

Israel Adesanya
Adesanya at UFC 230 in 2018
BornIsrael Mobolaji Temitayo Odunayo Oluwafemi Owolabi Adesanya[1]
(1989-07-22) 22 July 1989 (age 35)
Lagos, Nigeria
NicknameThe Last Stylebender
ResidenceAuckland, New Zealand
NationalityNigerian[2]
New Zealander
Height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
DivisionMiddleweight (2012–present)
Light Heavyweight (2021)
Reach80 in (203 cm)[3]
StyleKickboxing
Fighting out ofAuckland, New Zealand
TeamCity Kickboxing (2010–present)[5]
TrainerEugene Bareman: Head coach
Andrei Păuleț: Wrestling[6][7]
RankPurple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under André Galvão[8]
Years active2010–present
Professional boxing record
Total6
Wins5
By knockout1
Losses1
Kickboxing record
Total80
Wins75
By knockout27
Losses5
By knockout1
Mixed martial arts record
Total28
Wins24
By knockout16
By decision8
Losses4
By knockout1
By submission1
By decision2
Other information
Boxing record from BoxRec
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Israel Mobolaji Temitayo Odunayo Oluwafemi Owolabi Adesanya[1] (born 22 July 1989) is a Nigerian-New Zealand professional mixed martial artist, former kickboxer and boxer.[9][10] As a mixed martial artist, he currently competes in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former two-time UFC Middleweight Champion. In kickboxing, he is a former Glory Middleweight Championship title challenger. As of 23 January 2024, he is #2 in the UFC middleweight rankings.[11]

Early life and background

Adesanya was born in Lagos, Nigeria, the eldest of five children.[9] His father, Oluwafemi,[12] is an accountant and his mother, Taiwo, is a nurse.[13] He is ethnic Yoruba.[14][15] Adesanya attended Chrisland School, Opebi, and enrolled in its Taekwondo after-school club until he was removed by his mother due to an injury.[9][16][17]

In 1999, he relocated to Ghana with his family for 10 months,[5] but due to his parents wanting their children to receive a well-recognised higher education,[18] he settled in Rotorua, New Zealand, at age 10[19] and attended Rotorua Boys' High School.[20] Adesanya was not interested in sports during high school; instead he was interested in Japanese anime such as Death Note[21] and the manga series Naruto.[22] Adesanya was bullied during his high school years[23] and attributes his decision to pursue martial arts later in life to the mistreatment he experienced.[24] Adesanya's first exposure to fighting and an early influence on him was watching the British boxer Prince Naseem Hamed.[25] He stated that in an interview, "I remember watching him, mesmerized at what I saw, how we came to the ring and did that flip. That was one of my earliest memories of showmanship."[25]

Following high school graduation, Adesanya enrolled in a Bachelor of Science in Computer Design at the Universal College of Learning in Whanganui.[26] At the age of 18, he started training in kickboxing, after being inspired by the Muay Thai film Ong-Bak.[17] Two years later Adesanya made the decision to cease his studies in pursuit of a career in kickboxing and went on to amass an amateur record of 32–1 before turning professional and fighting in China.[27][28] At the age of 21, Adesanya moved to Auckland, New Zealand, and began training in mixed martial arts under Eugene Bareman at City Kickboxing, with future UFC fighters such as Dan Hooker, Kai Kara-France and former UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski.[29][30][31] He trains in wrestling under the Romanian New Zealander Andrei Păuleț.[6][7]

Professional kickboxing career

Early beginnings

In his early career he amassed a long winning streak in New Zealand, Australia and had numerous bouts with Wu Lin Feng in China. His winning streak earned him a place in the 2014 Kunlun Fight 80 kg tournament, held during Kunlun Fight 2. He lost the semifinal bout against Simon Marcus by an extra round split decision.[32] Adesanya afterwards made his Glory debut at Glory 15, when he faced Filip Verlinden. Verlinden won the fight by unanimous decision.[33] The two of them fought a rematch at Glory of Heroes 3, two years after their first fight, with Adesanya winning a unanimous decision.

Adesanya participated in the King in the Ring Cruiserweights II tournament of the regional circuit in New Zealand.[34] In the quarterfinal, he beat Slava Alexeichik by unanimous decision, in the semifinal he beat Pati Afoa by knockout and won the tournament with a knockout of Jamie Eades. Six months later, he took part in the 2015 Cruiserweights III tournament. He scored technical knockouts of Kim Loudon and Mark Timms in the quarterfinal and semifinal bouts respectively, before winning the tournament for the second time with a first-round knockout of Pati Afoa.[35]

Moving up in weight, Adesanya participated in the 2015 The Heavyweights III, as well. He defeated Nase Foai by TKO in the quarterfinal and Dan Roberts by KO in the semifinal, before facing Jamie Eades in the finals. The two had previously met in the final of the 2014 Cruiserweight tournament. Adesanya won the tournament final by unanimous decision.[36]

Glory Middleweight Championship

Adesanya won five of his next six fights, including victories over Yousri Belgaroui[37] and Bogdan Stoica.[38] His loss came at the hands of future GLORY Middleweight champion Alex Pereira, who won by unanimous decision.[39]

Adesanya participated in the 2016 Glory Middleweight Contender Tournament. He defeated Robert Thomas by unanimous decision in the semifinals, and won the tournament with a split decision victory over Yousri Belgaroui.[40] He fought Jason Wilnis for the Glory Middleweight championship at Glory 37: Los Angeles. Wilnis won the fight by unanimous decision, although the result was considered controversial.[41][42][43]

His last kickboxing fight, before transitioning to mixed martial arts, was a rematch with Alex Pereira at Glory of Heroes 7. Pereira won the fight by knockout, after dropping Adesanya with a short left hook in the third round.[44][45]

Professional mixed martial arts career

Early career

Adesanya made his professional debut in 2012, with a TKO win against James Griffiths. He scored another TKO win against John Vake, before taking a two-year hiatus from mixed martial arts. He returned to MMA in August 2015, when he won the fight against Song Kenan by TKO.[46] He went on to amass an 8–0 record, fighting mostly in Oceanian and Chinese circuits. During this run, he won the AFC Middleweight Championship at Australia Fighting Championship 20 with a first-round TKO over Melvin Guillard,[47] as well as the Hex Fight Series Middleweight championship with a first-round KO of Stuart Dare.[48]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

In December 2017, it was announced that Adesanya had signed a contract with the UFC. He made his debut against Rob Wilkinson on 11 February 2018, at UFC 221.[49] He won the fight via technical knockout in the second round.[50] This win earned him the Performance of the Night bonus.[51] [check quotation syntax][check quotation syntax] Adesanya's next fight took place on 14 April 2018, against Marvin Vettori at UFC on Fox 29.[52] He won the match by split decision.[53]

Adesanya then faced Brad Tavares on 6 July 2018, at The Ultimate Fighter 27 Finale.[54] Adesanya won the one-sided fight via unanimous decision.[55] This win earned him his second Performance of the Night award.[56]

Adesanya faced Derek Brunson on 3 November 2018, at UFC 230.[57] He won the fight via technical knockout in round one.[58] This win earned him the Performance of the Night award for a third time.[59]

While initially expected to serve as the co-main event, Adesanya faced former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva on 10 February 2019, in the main event of UFC 234.[60] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[61] This fight earned both competitors the Fight of the Night award.[62]

UFC Middleweight Championship

Adesanya faced Kelvin Gastelum for the interim UFC Middleweight Championship on 13 April 2019, in the co-main event of UFC 236.[63] He won the back-and-forth fight via unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 48–46.[64] This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award.[65] The fight was widely regarded as the best fight of the year, earning the nomination from most of the MMA news outlets.[66]

Adesanya then faced Robert Whittaker in a title unification bout on 6 October 2019, headlining UFC 243 for UFC Middleweight Championship.[67] After a knockdown in last second of the first round, Adesanya won the fight via knockout in the second round.[68] This win earned him his fourth Performance of the Night award.[69] Him and Kamaru Usman becoming UFC champions was ranked as the 29th most memorable moment in Nigerian sports history since 1960 by Premium Times in 2020, one of only four combat sports-related moments.[70]

Adesanya next faced three-time UFC title challenger Yoel Romero on 7 March 2020 UFC 248.[71] He won the fight via unanimous decision, with scores of 48–47, 48–47 and 49–46 and defended his title for the first time.[72] Many fans and pundits felt disappointed due to the low activity by both fighters which resulted in a largely uneventful fight in which neither fighter was able to deliver any significant offense.[73][74]

In his next title defense, Adesanya faced fellow undefeated fighter Paulo Costa on 27 September 2020 at UFC 253.[75] This marked the first time two male unbeaten mixed martial artists met in a title fight since 2009.[76] He won the fight via technical knockout in the second round.[77] This win earned him his fifth Performance of the Night award.[78] After the bout, Adesanya's visible right-breast gynecomastia drummed up controversy due to possible PEDs use, though Adesanya claimed it was due to his usage of marijuana.[79][80] Adesanya also caused additional controversy by simulating anal sex on the prone Costa at the end of the fight.[81]

Adesanya moved up a weight class and faced Jan Błachowicz for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship on 6 March 2021, headlining UFC 259.[82] At the weight-ins, Adesanya weighed 200 pounds, five pounds away from the light heavyweight limit.[83] He lost the fight via unanimous decision, with scores of 49–46, 49–45 and 49–45, marking the first time he has been defeated in mixed martial arts.[84]

Adesanya rematched Marvin Vettori for the UFC Middleweight Championship on 12 June 2021, headlining UFC 263.[85] Adesanya controlled a majority of the fight winning via unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 50–45.[86]

A rematch between Adesanya and Robert Whittaker for the UFC Middleweight Championship took place on 12 February 2022 at UFC 271.[87] Adesanya won the rematch via unanimous decision, with scores of 48–47, 48–47 and 49–46.[88]

Adesanya faced Jared Cannonier on 2 July 2022, at UFC 276.[89] He won the bout via unanimous decision.[90] This win earn him the Crypto.com Fan Bonus of the Night first place award which paid in bitcoin of US$30,000.[91]

Adesanya faced Alex Pereira, who had two victories against him in kickboxing, on 12 November 2022 at UFC 281.[92] Adesanya lost the fight and title via technical knockout in the fifth round, his first loss at middleweight.[93]

A rematch between Pereira and Adesanya for the UFC Middleweight Championship took place on 8 April 2023, at UFC 287.[94] Adesanya won the fight and title via knockout in the second round.[95] This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.[96]

Adesanya faced Sean Strickland on 10 September 2023, at UFC 293.[97] Adesanya lost the bout and championship in a major upset via unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 49–46.[98]

Adesanya faced Dricus du Plessis for the UFC Middleweight Championship on 18 August 2024 at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia.[99] He lost the fight via a face crank submission in the fourth round leading to the first submission loss in his career.[100]

Post Championship

In his first non-title bout in over five years, Adesanya is scheduled to face Nassourdine Imavov in the main event on February 1, 2025 at UFC Fight Night 250.[101]

Professional boxing career

Prizefighting tournaments

Adesanya began his professional boxing career in November 2014 against two-time Australian champion Daniel Ammann.[102] He was granted one of two wildcards to enter the inaugural cruiserweight Super 8 Boxing Tournament.[103] The event was headlined by Shane Cameron and Kali Meehan at the North Shore Events Centre in Auckland, New Zealand.[104] He suffered a controversial loss via unanimous decision after he looked to have outpointed Ammann in the quarter-finals.[105]

Adesanya re-entered the Super 8 tournament in May 2015, held at Horncastle Arena in Christchurch. It was the second cruiserweight series with the winner receiving $25,000 NZD and a new car.[106] He won his first professional fight against fellow New Zealander Asher Derbyshire in the first seed. Adesanya knocked his opponent out in the second round. In the second fight of the tournament, Adesanya won a majority decision against Lance Bryant. In the tournament final, he defeated Brian Minto by split decision.[107]

Adesanya fought in the 2015 Super 8 Cruiserweight tournament. He won his semifinal match against Zane Hopman by unanimous decision, and defended the cruiserweight crown with a unanimous decision win against Lance Bryant in the final.[108]

Controversies

Referencing 9/11 attack

In February 2020, Adesanya came under fire for comments made at the UFC 248 pre-fight press conference, where he said he would make opponent Yoel Romero "crumble like the Twin Towers", referencing the September 11 attacks.[109] The following day, Adesanya made an apology on his Instagram page, saying "I was simply rambling and my brain worked faster than my mouth in a moment to choose the wrong euphemism. You speak on the mic enough times and you're bound to miss the mark with some bars. I did on this one and for that I'm sorry. I'll be more careful in future with my words."[110]

Derogatory sexual comment

On 25 March 2021, New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Sport, Grant Robertson, spoke out against Adesanya's "flippant comments" on his Instagram "Bro, I will fuckin' rape you" aimed at fellow UFC middleweight fighter, Kevin Holland. Robertson commented "I'm sure Israel understands that, I believe he has deleted the tweet in question. It will be up to the UFC as to what they do. But I would certainly be making clear to him [Adesanya], and to anybody actually, that we have to take rape seriously. It's not an issue that anyone should be making jokes or flippant comments about at all."[111][112][113]

Brass knuckles possession arrest

On 16 November 2022, Adesanya was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City for the possession of brass knuckles.[114][115]

Drunk driving

On 19 August 2023,[116] Adesanya was pulled over for drunk driving in central Auckland, New Zealand where he was measured with blood alcohol content of 87mg%. In New Zealand the legal limit for driving is 50 mg%, and above 80 mg% the punishment is up to 3 months imprisonment. On 10 January 2024, he pleaded guilty[117] and in lieu of a prison sentence, he was fined NZ$1,500 and given a six-month driving suspension.[118] He was granted a discharge without conviction — his second, after previously driving while disqualified — due to the adverse effect a conviction would have on his ability to travel and acquire sponsorships.[119] Additionally, after his court appearance he posted videos from inside the court to his social media pages, which is illegal in New Zealand without the permission of the presiding judge.[120] He later removed the posts and released an apology.[121]

Misinformation

On August 1, 2024, Adesanya made false comments on Twitter in regard to Algerian boxer Imane Khelif's win at the 2024 Summer Olympics, saying "Men should not be boxing women. lol he couldn't even finish her. Anyway, people > politics." He later apologized and said "From now on, I will leave women's fights to women. I tried to speak up about it and apparently, I got it wrong, a lot of people got it wrong, there was misinformation."[122]

Road rage incident

On September 5, 2024, Adesanya was involved in a verbal confrontation with an individual after a road rage incident in Auckland, New Zealand, with Adesanya having been caught on video spitting in the direction of the man.[123] In response to the incident, Adesanya expressed his disappointment about the nature of the incident in a statement, alleging that he was racially abused and will be looking to press charges against the individual.[124]

Personal life

Adesanya is multilingual, fluent in Yoruba, Nigerian Pidgin, and English.[125]

Before taking up fighting, Adesanya regularly competed in dance competitions across New Zealand.[126] He highlighted his passion for dance in a choreographed walkout at UFC 243.[127][128]

Adesanya is a fan of anime and has stated he would like to start an anime production company after retiring from fighting.[129] His nickname "The Last Stylebender" is a reference to Avatar: The Last Airbender, an anime-influenced cartoon series.[130] Adesanya has the image of one of the show's main characters, Toph Beifong, tattooed on his forearm.[131]

Adesanya is also a professional wrestling fan, once stopping mid interview one he spotted Booker T and acknowledged him.[132]

In September 2020, he became the first mixed martial arts athlete to sign a sponsorship deal with Puma.[133]

In June 2023, Stylebender, a documentary film focusing on the life of Adesanya debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival.[134]

Views and positions

Adesanya endorsed a "yes" vote in the 2020 New Zealand cannabis referendum.[135]

In June 2021, Adesanya advocated tougher penalties against coward punching following the death of his training partner Fau Vake, who died after being punched in the head the previous month.[136][137]

Championships and accomplishments

Boxing

Kickboxing

Awards

Mixed martial arts

Pay-per-view bouts

No. Event Fight Date Venue City PPV buys
1. UFC 234 Adesanya vs. Silva 10 February 2019 Rod Laver Arena Melbourne, Australia 175,000[184]
2. UFC 243 Whittaker vs. Adesanya 8 October 2019 Marvel Stadium Melbourne, Australia Not Disclosed[185]
3. UFC 248 Adesanya vs. Romero 7 March 2020 T-Mobile Arena Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S Not Disclosed[186]
4. UFC 253 Adesanya vs. Costa 27 September 2020 Flash Forum Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 700,000[187]
5. UFC 259 Błachowicz vs. Adesanya 6 March 2021 UFC Apex Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S 800,000[188]
6. UFC 263 Adesanya vs. Vettori 2 12 June 2021 Gila River Arena Glendale, Arizona, U.S 600,000[189]
7. UFC 271 Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2 12 February 2022 Toyota Center Houston, Texas, U.S Not Disclosed[190]
8. UFC 276 Adesanya vs. Cannonier 2 July 2022 T-Mobile Arena Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S Not Disclosed[191]
9. UFC 281 Adesanya vs. Pereira 12 November 2022 Madison Square Garden New York City, New York, U.S Not Disclosed[192]
10. UFC 287 Pereira vs. Adesanya 2 8 April 2023 Kaseya Center Miami, Florida, U.S Not Disclosed[193]
11. UFC 293 Adesanya vs. Strickland 10 September 2023 Qudos Bank Arena Sydney, Australia Not Disclosed[194]
12. UFC 305 du Plessis vs. Adesanya 18 August 2024 RAC Arena Perth, Australia Not Disclosed[195]

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
28 matches 24 wins 4 losses
By knockout 16 1
By submission 0 1
By decision 8 2
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 24–4 Dricus du Plessis Submission (face crank) UFC 305 18 August 2024 4 3:38 Perth, Australia For the UFC Middleweight Championship.
Loss 24–3 Sean Strickland Decision (unanimous) UFC 293 10 September 2023 5 5:00 Sydney, Australia Lost the UFC Middleweight Championship.
Win 24–2 Alex Pereira KO (punches) UFC 287 8 April 2023 2 4:21 Miami, Florida, United States Won the UFC Middleweight Championship. Performance of the Night.
Loss 23–2 Alex Pereira TKO (punches) UFC 281 12 November 2022 5 2:01 New York City, New York, United States Lost the UFC Middleweight Championship.
Win 23–1 Jared Cannonier Decision (unanimous) UFC 276 2 July 2022 5 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Defended the UFC Middleweight Championship.
Win 22–1 Robert Whittaker Decision (unanimous) UFC 271 12 February 2022 5 5:00 Houston, Texas, United States Defended the UFC Middleweight Championship.
Win 21–1 Marvin Vettori Decision (unanimous) UFC 263 12 June 2021 5 5:00 Glendale, Arizona, United States Defended the UFC Middleweight Championship.
Loss 20–1 Jan Błachowicz Decision (unanimous) UFC 259 6 March 2021 5 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Light Heavyweight debut. For the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.
Win 20–0 Paulo Costa TKO (punches and elbows) UFC 253 27 September 2020 2 3:59 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Defended the UFC Middleweight Championship. Performance of the Night.
Win 19–0 Yoel Romero Decision (unanimous) UFC 248 7 March 2020 5 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Defended the UFC Middleweight Championship.
Win 18–0 Robert Whittaker KO (punches) UFC 243 6 October 2019 2 3:33 Melbourne, Australia Won and unified the UFC Middleweight Championship. Performance of the Night.
Win 17–0 Kelvin Gastelum Decision (unanimous) UFC 236 13 April 2019 5 5:00 Atlanta, Georgia, United States Won the interim UFC Middleweight Championship. Fight of the Night.
Win 16–0 Anderson Silva Decision (unanimous) UFC 234 10 February 2019 3 5:00 Melbourne, Australia Fight of the Night.
Win 15–0 Derek Brunson TKO (knees and punches) UFC 230 3 November 2018 1 4:51 New York City, New York, United States Performance of the Night.
Win 14–0 Brad Tavares Decision (unanimous) The Ultimate Fighter: Undefeated Finale 6 July 2018 5 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Performance of the Night.
Win 13–0 Marvin Vettori Decision (split) UFC on Fox: Poirier vs. Gaethje 14 April 2018 3 5:00 Glendale, Arizona, United States
Win 12–0 Rob Wilkinson TKO (knees and punches) UFC 221 11 February 2018 2 3:37 Perth, Australia Performance of the Night.
Win 11–0 Stuart Dare KO (head kick) Hex Fight Series 12 24 November 2017 1 4:53 Melbourne, Australia Won the vacant Hex Fight Series Middleweight Championship.
Win 10–0 Melvin Guillard TKO (punches) AFC 20 28 July 2017 1 4:49 Melbourne, Australia Won the vacant AFC Middleweight Championship.
Win 9–0 Murad Kuramagomedov TKO (punches) Wu Lin Feng: E.P.I.C. 4 28 May 2016 2 1:05 Henan, China
Win 8–0 Andrew Flores Smith TKO (corner stoppage) Glory of Heroes 2 7 May 2016 1 5:00 Shenzhen, China
Win 7–0 Dibir Zagirov TKO (punches) Wu Lin Feng: E.P.I.C. 2 13 March 2016 2 2:23 Henan, China
Win 6–0 Vladimir Katykhin TKO (doctor stoppage) Wu Lin Feng: E.P.I.C. 1 13 January 2016 2 2:13 Henan, China
Win 5–0 Gele Qing TKO (elbows) Wu Lin Feng 2015: New Zealand vs. China 19 September 2015 2 3:37 Auckland, New Zealand
Win 4–0 Maui Tuigamala TKO (kick to the body) Fair Pay Fighting 1 5 September 2015 2 1:25 Auckland, New Zealand
Win 3–0 Song Kenan TKO (head kick) The Legend of Emei 3 8 August 2015 1 1:59 Shahe, China Catchweight (187 lb) bout.
Win 2–0 John Vake TKO (punches) Shuriken MMA: Best of the Best 15 June 2013 1 4:43 Auckland, New Zealand
Win 1–0 James Griffiths TKO (punches) Supremacy Fighting Championship 9 24 March 2012 1 2:09 Auckland, New Zealand Middleweight debut.

[196]

Kickboxing record

[197]

Professional Kickboxing and Muay Thai record
75 wins (27’(T)KOs), 5 losses, 0 draws
Date Result Opponent Event Location Method Round Time
2017-03-04 Loss Brazil Alex Pereira Glory of Heroes 7 Sao Paulo, Brazil KO (left hook)[198] 3 0:42
2017-01-20 Loss Netherlands Jason Wilnis Glory 37: Los Angeles Los Angeles, California, US Decision (unanimous)[199] 5 3:00
For the Glory Middleweight Championship.
2016-10-21 Win Netherlands Yousri Belgaroui Glory 34: Denver – Middleweight Contender Tournament Finals Broomfield, Colorado, US Decision (split) 3 3:00
Wins Glory 34: Denver – Middleweight Contender Tournament Championship.
2016-10-21 Win Canada Robert Thomas Glory 34: Denver – Middleweight Contender Tournament, Semi Finals Broomfield, Colorado, US Decision (unanimous) 3 3:00
2016-10-01 Win Romania Bogdan Stoica Glory of Heroes 5 Zhengzhou, China KO (left mid kick) 2 1:45
2016-09-17 Win France Romain Falendry Rise of Heroes 1 Chaoyang, Liaoning, China Decision (unanimous) 3 3:00
2016-08-06 Win Netherlands Yousri Belgaroui Glory of Heroes 4 Changzhi, China Decision (unanimous) 3 3:00
2016-07-02 Win Belgium Filip Verlinden Glory of Heroes 3 Jiyuan, Henan, China Decision (unanimous) 3 3:00
2016-06-25 Win Ukraine Vitaly Kodin Wu Lin Feng China Decision (unanimous) 3 3:00
2016-04-02 Loss Brazil Alex Pereira Glory of Heroes 1 Shenzhen, China Decision (unanimous)[200] 3 3:00
2016-01-30 Win Sweden Carl N'Diaye The Legend of Emei 7 – Wenjiang Wenjiang, China KO (left hook to the body) 1 3:00
2015-10-31 Win New Zealand Jamie Eades King in the Ring 100 – The Heavyweights III, Final Auckland, New Zealand Decision (unanimous) 3 3:00
Wins King in the Ring 100 – The Heavyweights III Tournament Championship.
2015-10-31 Win Australia Dan Roberts King in the Ring 100 – The Heavyweights III, Semi Finals Auckland, New Zealand KO (Uppercut) 1 0:26
2015-10-31 Win Australia Nase Foai King in the Ring 100 – The Heavyweights III, Quarter Finals Auckland, New Zealand TKO (Corner stoppage) 3 N/A
2015-04-11 Win New Zealand Pati Afoa King in the Ring 86 – The Cruiserweights III, Final Auckland, New Zealand KO (Right cross) 1 0:52
Wins King in the Ring 86 – The Cruiserweights III Tournament Championship.
2015-04-11 Win Australia Mark Timms King in the Ring 86 – The Cruiserweights III, Semi Finals Auckland, New Zealand TKO (Knee to the body) 2 N/A
2015-04-11 Win Australia Kim Loudon King in the Ring 86 – The Cruiserweights III, Quarter Finals Auckland, New Zealand TKO (Referee stoppage) 3
2015-02-14 Win Australia Kim Loudon Knees of Fury 50 Adelaide, Australia TKO (retirement) 4 N/A
2014-10-11 Win United Kingdom Joe Boobyer Knees of Fury 48 Hamilton, New Zealand KO (Knee)
2014-09-21 Win China Wenjie Guo Kungfu Union Dalian, China Decision 3 3:00
2014-08-30 Win New Zealand Jamie Eades King in the Ring 86 – The Cruiserweights II, Final Auckland, New Zealand KO (Knee to the body) 1 1:08
Wins King in the Ring 86– The Cruiserweights II Tournament Championship.
2014-08-30 Win New Zealand Pati Afoa King in the Ring 86 – The Cruiserweights II, Semi Finals Auckland, New Zealand KO (Right cross) 1 N/A
2014-08-30 Win Russia Slava Alekseychik King in the Ring 86 – The Cruiserweights II, Quarter Finals Auckland, New Zealand Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00
2014-05-24 Win New Zealand Charles August Knees of Fury 46 Adelaide, Australia TKO (Knee) 2
Wins the WMC Oceania Cruiserweight title.
2014-04-12 Loss Belgium Filip Verlinden Glory 15: Istanbul Istanbul, Turkey Decision (unanimous)[201] 3 3:00
2014-02-16 Loss Canada Simon Marcus Kunlun Fight 2 – 80kg tournament, Semi Finals Zhengzhou, China Ext. R Decision (split)[202] 4 3:00
2013-11-27 Win China Qin Shan Wu Lin Feng 2013 Anyang, China TKO 3 N/A
2013-09-11 Win China Nurla Mulali Wu Lin Feng 2013 Kashi, China Decision (unanimous) 3 3:00
2012-07-21 Win China Niu Xiaoqiang Wu Lin Feng 2012 Auckland, New Zealand KO (punches) 3 N/A
2012-06-23 Win China Xu Yi Wu Lin Feng 2012 Foshan, China Decision (unanimous) 3 3:00
2012-08-29 Win Australia Gary Williams Knees of Fury 38 Adelaide, Australia Decision (Split) 3 3:00
2012-05-26 Win Australia Gary Williams Knees of Fury 37 Adelaide, Australia Decision (Split) 3 3:00
2012-02-25 Win United Kingdom Steve Behan Knees of Fury 36 Adelaide, Australia Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00
2011-09-24 Win China Guo Qiang CI-K Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia TKO (referee stoppage) 3 N/A
2011-06-11 Win China Guo Qiang Wu Lin Feng 2011 Shangqiu, China Decision 3 3:00
2011-02-12 Win New Zealand Eds Eramiha Rumble in the Ville Auckland, New Zealand Decision (unanimous) 5 2:00
Wins the WKBF New Zealand Cruiserweight title.
2010-12-04 Win New Zealand Eds Eramiha Puma 8 Man Tournament New Zealand N/A N/A N/A
2010-12-04 Win New Zealand Ti'i Nanai Puma 8 Man Tournament New Zealand N/A N/A N/A
2010-12-04 Win New Zealand Areta Gilbert Puma 8 Man Tournament New Zealand N/A N/A N/A
2010-07-17 Win New Zealand Ben Davis Lee Gar 35th Year Anniversary New Zealand N/A N/A N/A
2010-05-16 Win Australia Tim Atonio Fight Force Melbourne, Australia Decision (unanimous) 5 2:00
2010-04-23 Win New Zealand Jerry Seagar Bring the South to the City 3 New Zealand N/A N/A N/A
Legend:   Win   Loss   Draw/No contest   Notes

Professional boxing record

6 fights 5 wins 1 loss
By knockout 1 0
By decision 4 1
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
6 Win 5–1 Lance Bryant UD 3 3 November 2015 SkyCity, Auckland, New Zealand Super 8 Boxing Tournament IV: cruiserweight final[139]
5 Win 4–1 Zane Hopman UD 3 3 November 2015 SkyCity, Auckland, New Zealand Super 8 Boxing Tournament IV: cruiserweight semi-final
4 Win 3–1 Brian Minto SD 3 28 March 2015 Horncastle Arena, Christchurch, New Zealand Super 8 Boxing Tournament III: cruiserweight final[138]
3 Win 2–1 Lance Bryant MD 3 28 March 2015 Horncastle Arena, Christchurch, New Zealand Super 8 Boxing Tournament III: cruiserweight semi-final
2 Win 1–1 Asher Derbyshire KO 2 (3) 28 March 2015 Horncastle Arena, Christchurch, New Zealand Super 8 Boxing Tournament III: cruiserweight quarter-final
1 Loss 0–1 Daniel Ammann UD 3 22 November 2014 North Shore Events Centre, Auckland, New Zealand Super 8 Boxing Tournament II: cruiserweight quarter-final[203]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "BoxRec: Israel Adesanya". boxrec.com. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  2. ^ "Nigeria's Adesanya beats Whittaker to become undisputed middleweight champion". The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News. 6 October 2019. Archived from the original on 11 April 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
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Sporting positions
Mixed martial arts titles
Vacant
Title last held by
Robert Whittaker 		2nd UFC Interim Middleweight Champion
13 April 2019 – 6 October 2019 		Vacant
Preceded by 11th UFC Middleweight Champion
6 October 2019 – 12 November 2022 		Succeeded by
Preceded by 13th UFC Middleweight Champion
8 April 2023 – 10 September 2023 		Succeeded by
Kickboxing titles
Preceded by
TY Williams
 2nd King in the Ring Cruiserweight Champion
30 August 2014 – 11 April 2015
Vacated 		Vacant
Vacant 3rd King in the Ring Cruiserweight Champion
11 April 2015 – 17 November 2017
Vacated 		Succeeded by
Slava Alexeichik
Preceded by 3rd King in the Ring Heavyweight Champion
31 October 2015 – 30 June 2017
Vacated 		Succeeded by
Carlos Ulberg
Boxing titles
Preceded by 1st Super 8 Boxing Cruiserweight Champion
28 March 2015 		Incumbent
Preceded by
Israel Adesanya
 2nd Super 8 Boxing Cruiserweight Champion
3 November 2015 		Incumbent
Awards
Preceded by New Zealand's Sportsman of the Year
2019 		Succeeded by