Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, made up from various combat sports and martial arts from around the world.
Israel Mobolaji Adesanya is a Nigerian-born professional Mixed Martial Artist based in Auckland, New Zealand. He is currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The UFC is the largest MMA promotion company in the world and features some of the top-level fighters in the mixed martial sport.
Israel was first introduced to combat sports when he enrolled in his primary school’s Taekwondo after-school club. At age 18, Israel started training in kickboxing, amassing an amateur kickboxing record of 32-0 before becoming a professional in 2012. In March 2014, he became the first fighter from New Zealand to sign a deal with the Glory promotion company, a top international kickboxing company. Fighting in Hong Kong, Australia and China over a five-and-a-half-year period, Israel accumulated a record of 11–0, with all wins coming via Knock Out or Technical Knock Out (KO/TKO). In his time in Kickboxing, Israel became a Glory middleweight contender winner and King in the Ring two-time cruiserweight and heavyweight champion.
Israel moved from kickboxing to Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and signed with the UFC in December 2017. He made his UFC debut against Rob Wilkinson in February 2018. He won the fight via TKO and earned the Performance of the Night bonus. This was a wonderful sign of wins to come as Israel went from being a newbie to an undisputed Middleweight Champion in less than two years, a remarkable feat in the UFC.
He won his undisputed Middleweight belt when he faced Robert Whittaker in October 2019, via Knock Out in the second round. This win earned him his fourth Performance of the Night award and an 18 – 0 perfect record in the UFC. Israel defended his belt against veteran wrestler and martial artist, Yoel Romero in March 2020. He won via unanimous decision, retaining his belt and increasing his perfect record to 19-0. Israel Adesanya is currently ranked no 5 on the UFC’s Men’s pound-for-pound fighters in the world, out of over 500 fighters.
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Although he left Nigeria at a young age, Israel Adesanya remains proudly Nigerian. He has a tattoo of the map of Africa on his chest, with Nigeria clearly outlined. A month after winning his interim middleweight title, he travelled to Nigeria, visiting his old primary school and connecting with the youth where he grew up.
“Just to breathe the air, touch the soil, eat the food, I never went hungry when I was there. It was a cultural thing for me — you always have to remember to go back to your roots.” Israel Adesanya stated.
We are inspired and proud of Israel Adesanya.