Following the longest absence of his MMA career, 343 days, Israel Adesanya (24-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) will return to action this weekend in Perth, Western Australia to face fellow African-born fighter and current UFC middleweight champion Drix du Plessis (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) at UFC 305. Having lost his belt to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 last September, Adesanya bounced back with a win over the on-the-ball “Stilnox” and is looking to make history with a third title shot.
Adesanya’s wins include some impressive names
With a perfect 7-0 record in the UFC, including wins over middleweight greats such as Brad Tavares, Derek Brunson, Robert Whittaker and Sean Strickland, du Plessis has been nearly flawless on his rise to the top of the division. For the South African, a victory over one of the greatest 185-pound champions of all time would be a legend-defining moment for his legacy and the ideal start to a strong championship reign.
While some may question whether a challenger has the strength to withstand the relentless pressure of the reigning champion, a rejuvenated Adesanya seems more than motivated to steal the spotlight on Saturday. Now fully refreshed in body and mind after some much-needed rest, the former five-time defending champion may still have enough left to further enhance his credibility as one of the greatest UFC legends of all time.
‘The Last Stylebender’ turns to kickboxing
Before Israel Adesanya became the icon he is today, his path into martial arts began as a teenager after watching the hit martial arts movie, “Ong Bak.” The film made such an impression on the young Adesanya that he decided to begin training in kickboxing shortly after watching it.
With an impressive amateur record of 32-0, this future star made his professional kickboxing debut in 2010 and would go on to compete all over the world, especially in China. In fact, he did so well in China that he ended up representing China in several prestigious kickboxing tournaments, eventually earning the nickname “Black Dragon” or “Black Dragon”.
Adesanya takes to the cage
Before making the full transition to mixed martial arts, Adesanya compiled a kickboxing record of 75-5, including two losses at the hands of future UFC foe Alex Pereira, and won several major titles, including the WKBF New Zealand Cruiserweight Championship, WMC Oceania Cruiserweight Championship and the King in the Ring III Heavyweight Tournament Championship.
While Adesanya was wowing the world with his kickboxing prowess, he was quietly beginning to build a solid reputation as a mixed martial artist. Fighting for various organizations in Oceania and China between 2012 and 2017, “The Last Stylebender” compiled an 11-0 record during that time, including knockout wins over past and future UFC opponents such as Song Kenan and Melvin Guillard, establishing himself as one of the most promising fighters on the planet.
Then, on February 11th, 2018, Adesanya made his highly anticipated UFC debut at UFC 221, dominating future PFL light heavyweight champion Robert Wilkinson and earning the Performance of the Night award. Following his spectacular debut inside the world-famous Octagon, Adesanya rocketed through the middleweight rankings and enjoyed an explosive promotion, competing four more times over the next year and scoring wins over some of the division’s biggest names, including Marvin Vetri, Brad Tavares, Derek Brunson and Anderson Silva.
Adesanya wins provisional gold medal
Now one of UFC’s best 185-pound contenders, Adesanya faced off in the co-main event of UFC 236 against Kelvin Gastelum for the UFC interim middleweight title, which proved to be the toughest test of his career to date. Though he started the bout with a slight advantage, the fight was far from an easy one for the then-unbeaten “Last Stylebender,” as Gastelum pushed Adesanya into a corner and knocked him down multiple times. However, in the fifth and deciding round, the Nigerian used his incredible heart and kickboxing skills to bounce back and win by all three judges’ scores to claim the interim title. To this day, the bout is considered a classic, with some pundits calling it one of the greatest fights of all time.
With the interim title in hand, Adesanya’s only remaining opponent before he could claim the title of greatest in the middleweight division was Robert Whittaker. Having won eight straight fights since moving up from welterweight in 2014, Whittaker captured the interim title after a brutal five-round battle with Yoel Romero in 2017 before becoming absolute champion later that year.
Unifying the middleweight division and winning the title
The two faced off in the main event of UFC 243 in one of the most anticipated 185-pound bouts in recent memory. Coming into the official defense of his title, Whittaker was considered a slight favorite against a rising Adesanya. However, compared to their previous bout, which lasted five rounds, “The Last Stylebender” needed just two rounds to put “The Grim Reaper” down, knocking him out with a counter left hook to claim the undisputed middleweight championship.
Adesanya eventually solidified his status as a champion, defending his title five consecutive times in a three-year span, defeating Yoel Romero, Paulo McCain and Joel Romero. Costa, Marvin Vetri, Robert Whittaker again and Jared Cannonier. The only setback in this dominating run came when he faced 205-pound kingpin Jan Blachowicz for the legendary double championship at UFC 259, but lost a unanimous decision to the Polish fighter, handing him his first loss in the promotion.
At this point, Adesanya holds the second-most middleweight title defenses and is considered the sport’s greatest of all time, but a ghost from his rapid rise through the rankings has returned to face him once again: Alex Pereira, the last man to beat Adesanya in bout action.
Adesanya vs. Pereira, Part II vs. Strickland
Leading up to their showdown at UFC 281, fans wondered whether Adesanya could beat the same man who had already beaten him twice, a fight that ended in a knockout victory for the Brazilian. But in the first four rounds, the champion seemed to have allayed fans’ concerns, as he largely dominated the bout with his grappling and precise striking. But in the fifth and final round, “Poitan” managed to back Adesanya up against the cage and land a monster left hook that rocked the New Zealander before finishing the bout with punches to pick up his third victory over his former kickboxing rival.
Adesanya didn’t have to wait long to take on his rival again, meeting Pereira for the second time in MMA just five months later at UFC 287 in a rematch that would become the climax of a saga between two of the best fighters on the planet. Initially, it looked like the bigger Pereira would once again emerge victorious after landing a heavy blow on the former champion in the first round. But in true underdog fashion, and in one of the most memorable finishes in UFC history, Adesanya ultimately got the better of “Poatan,” taking down the Brazilian with a straight right followed by a hammerfist to reclaim his status as the man to beat at 185 pounds.
Looking to start a second chapter of his middleweight dynasty, “The Last Stylebender” next faced fan-favorite striker Sean Strickland at UFC 293. Having ended his exciting rivalry with Pereira, Adesanya appeared to be back on track for further stardom with a dominant win over his American opponent. However, unbeknownst to anyone, Strickland would score a stunning upset by winning by unanimous decision against the champion, nearly knocking Adesanya out in the first round.
lastly
UFC 305 is finally upon us, and with a lingering injury and burnout seemingly behind him, Israel Adesanya is looking to claim a historic third gold medal at middleweight against Dricus du Plessis. It remains to be seen whether “The Last Stylebender” can stage another incredible comeback or if his time at the top of the 185-pound division is over. Either way, Adesanya has already etched his name in the annals of MMA greatness, and a win against “Stillnox” could cement his place among the greatest middleweights of all time.
