Israel Adesanya: The Life Story Behind MMA's Last Stylebender

Israel Adesanya does not fight like other people. He moves like a dancer, he strikes like a sniper, and he talks like a man who has seen the future and knows how it ends. He calls himself the Last Stylebender, a name taken from the television show Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the name fits, because Adesanya bends his style to fit any opponent, any moment, and any fight. He was a kickboxer first, a champion in Glory, and then he became a star in the UFC, winning the middleweight title, defending it five times, losing it, winning it back, and losing it again. He is one of the most gifted strikers the sport has ever seen, and one of the most fascinating personalities, a man who loves anime, who loves dance, and who is not afraid to be himself in a sport that often rewards conformity.

He was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and he moved to New Zealand with his family when he was ten years old, a move that changed his life. He was bullied at school in New Zealand, he was shy, and he found confidence in martial arts, first in taekwondo, then in kickboxing, and then in mixed martial arts. He became a professional kickboxer, he fought in China, in Australia, and in Europe, and he built a reputation as a creative, exciting striker. He joined the UFC in 2018, and within two years he was the middleweight champion. His story is about movement, about style, and about a boy from Lagos who became a star in Auckland, and who never forgot where he came from.

This is the story of the Stylebender, of his rise, his reign, his rivalry with Alex Pereira, and his search for a way back to the top. It is a story about art, about confidence, and about what happens when a fighter who has always been the best meets someone who can beat him.

Lagos, Rotorua, and a Boy Who Loved Anime

Israel Mobolaji Adesanya was born on 22 July 1989 in Lagos, Nigeria, a huge, noisy, vibrant city on the west coast of Africa, where life is fast, loud, and full of energy. He was the eldest of five children born to Oluwafemi and Taiwo Adesanya, and his father worked as an accountant while his mother worked as a nurse. The family lived a comfortable, middle-class life in Lagos, and Israel grew up in a house where education mattered, where discipline mattered, and where children were expected to work hard. He was a bright boy, and he loved cartoons, anime, and dance, interests that set him apart from other boys his age. He watched Avatar: The Last Airbender, he watched Naruto, and he dreamed of being a hero like the characters on screen, a boy who could bend the elements and who could fight with style and grace.

When Israel was ten years old, his family moved to New Zealand, first to Rotorua, a town on the North Island, and then to Whangārei and Auckland. The move was a shock. New Zealand was quieter than Lagos, colder, and very different, and Israel, a Nigerian boy in a New Zealand school, felt like an outsider. He was bullied at school, he was shy, and he struggled to fit in. He found comfort in anime, in dance, and in sport, and he began training in taekwondo, a Korean martial art that taught him to kick, to move, and to defend himself. Taekwondo gave him confidence, and it gave him a way to express himself, and it set him on a path that would lead him to kickboxing and then to MMA.

As a teenager, Israel discovered kickboxing, and he fell in love with it. Kickboxing is a striking sport, using punches and kicks, and it suited Israel’s natural gifts: his height, his reach, his speed, and his creativity. He began training at a gym in Auckland, City Kickboxing, under the coach Eugene Bareman, a man who would become one of the most important people in Israel’s life. Bareman saw something in the young fighter: a natural striker, with a style that was different from everyone else, and with a confidence that grew with every fight. Israel trained hard, he fought in amateur kickboxing, and he turned professional, fighting in New Zealand, in Australia, and in China, where he became a star in the kickboxing world.

Kickboxing Stardom and the Move to MMA

Israel Adesanya’s kickboxing career was long and successful, and it made him a star before he ever fought in the UFC. He fought more than eighty kickboxing bouts, winning most of them, and he became a champion in Glory, the biggest kickboxing promotion in the world, where he fought the best strikers on the planet. He was known for his creativity, for his feints, for his ability to read an opponent and to land strikes from angles that no one expected. He fought in China, where he became a popular figure, and he fought in Europe, where he faced the best kickboxers in the world. He lost some fights, including two losses to Alex Pereira, a Brazilian kickboxer who would later become his great rival in MMA, but he won most of them, and he built a reputation as one of the most exciting strikers in the sport.

In 2015, Israel began fighting in MMA, alongside his kickboxing career, and he won his first fights quickly, showing that his striking translated perfectly to the cage. He fought in Australia and in New Zealand, he won the AFC middleweight title and the Hex Fight Series middleweight title, and he built a record of eleven wins and no losses. The UFC noticed him, and in February 2018, at the age of twenty-eight, he made his UFC debut against Rob Wilkinson, winning by knockout in the second round. It was a stunning debut, and it announced him as a star. He was tall, he was fast, he was creative, and he was different from every other middleweight in the division. The UFC had found a new star, and Israel had found a new home.

He won his next fights, beating Marvin Vettori, Brad Tavares, and Derek Brunson, and each win made him more famous. He fought with a style that was beautiful to watch, using feints, head movement, and counter-strikes to frustrate his opponents. He also talked with a confidence that was rare in MMA, speaking about anime, about dance, and about his belief that he was the best striker in the world. He was not a trash-talker in the way that Conor McGregor was. He was a showman, a performer, and a man who was comfortable being himself, even when himself was different from what people expected a fighter to be. That authenticity made him loved by fans around the world, and it made him one of the biggest stars in the UFC.

The Gastelum War and the Whittaker Title

Israel Adesanya’s rise to the middleweight title was fast, and it included one of the greatest fights in UFC history. In April 2019, he fought Kelvin Gastelum for the interim middleweight title in Atlanta, in a fight that went five rounds and that is still talked about as one of the best title fights ever. Gastelum was a tough Mexican-American fighter, a former winner of The Ultimate Fighter, and he pushed Adesanya harder than anyone had before. He dropped Adesanya, he hurt him, and he made him fight for every round. Adesanya came back, he landed punches and kicks, and in the fifth round, he dropped Gastelum three times, winning a unanimous decision and the interim title. The fight was a war, and it showed that Adesanya could win a hard, gruelling fight, not only a beautiful, technical one. It also showed that he had heart, and that he could dig deep when a fight became a battle.

Six months later, in October 2019, Adesanya fought Robert Whittaker, the undisputed middleweight champion, in Melbourne, Australia, in front of more than fifty thousand fans, the largest crowd in UFC history at the time. Whittaker was an Australian fighter, a former champion, and a man known for his toughness and his skill. Adesanya fought a brilliant fight, landing a right hand that dropped Whittaker in the first round, and finishing him in the second round with punches. He became the undisputed UFC middleweight champion, and he did it in front of a huge crowd, in a fight that made him a star in Australia and New Zealand. It was a perfect performance, and it showed that Adesanya was not only a great striker, but a great champion, a man who could rise to the biggest occasion and deliver.

Adesanya defended his title five times, beating Yoel Romero in March 2020, in a slow, cautious fight that was criticised for its lack of action, Paulo Costa in September 2020, knocking him out in the second round, Marvin Vettori in a rematch in June 2021, winning a clear decision, Robert Whittaker in a rematch in February 2022, winning a close decision, and Jared Cannonier in July 2022, winning a clear decision. Each defence added to his reputation, and each one showed a different part of his game. He was not only a striker. He was a champion who could adapt, who could win a slow fight, a fast fight, and a close fight, and who could do it against the best fighters in the world. He was the middleweight king, and it seemed as though no one could beat him, until Alex Pereira came along. He defended his title against Marvin Vettori in a rematch in June 2021, in Arizona, winning a clear unanimous decision. Vettori was a tough Italian fighter, a wrestler who had pushed Adesanya hard in their first fight in 2018, and who believed he could beat him. Adesanya fought a disciplined fight, using leg kicks, jabs, and takedown defence to control the action, and he won every round on two of the judges’ cards. The win showed that Adesanya could learn from a first fight, adapt, and win more clearly the second time, a skill that great champions possess and that few fighters ever master. He also beat Jared Cannonier in July 2022, in Las Vegas, winning a clear unanimous decision to defend his title for a fifth time. Cannonier was a powerful American striker, and Adesanya used his movement, his jab, and his leg kicks to control the fight, winning every round on the judges’ cards and proving once again that he was the best middleweight in the world.

Pereira, the Rival Who Would Not Go Away

Alex Pereira is the one man who has haunted Israel Adesanya’s career, in kickboxing and in MMA, and their rivalry is one of the great stories in combat sports. Pereira beat Adesanya twice in kickboxing, in 2016 and in 2017, the second time by knockout, and those losses stayed with Adesanya. When Pereira joined the UFC in 2021, and moved quickly through the middleweight division, it was only a matter of time before the two men met again. They fought in November 2022, at UFC 281 in New York, for the middleweight title, and Adesanya was winning the fight going into the fifth round, ahead on the judges’ cards, when Pereira landed punches that hurt him, and the referee stopped the fight. Adesanya had lost his title, to the one man who had beaten him before, and the loss was devastating.

Adesanya did not wait long for a rematch. He fought Pereira again in April 2023, at UFC 287 in Miami, and this time the result was different. In the second round, Adesanya landed a right hand that dropped Pereira, and he followed with punches that ended the fight. He regained his middleweight title, and he celebrated by mimicking Pereira’s archery celebration, a moment that became famous. The win was a triumph, and it showed that Adesanya could learn from a defeat, come back, and beat the man who had beaten him. It was also a reminder that their rivalry was not over, because Pereira moved up to light heavyweight and won a title there, becoming a two-weight champion himself. The two men are linked forever, by kickboxing, by MMA, and by a rivalry that has defined both of their careers.

Strickland, Du Plessis, and the Search for a Way Back

After regaining his title from Pereira in April 2023, Israel Adesanya faced Sean Strickland in September 2023, at UFC 293 in Sydney, Australia, and he lost in one of the great upsets in UFC history. Strickland was a tough American fighter, a former training partner of Adesanya’s, and a man known for his pressure and his durability. He fought a brilliant fight, dropping Adesanya in the first round, controlling him for five rounds, and winning a clear unanimous decision. Adesanya lost his title again, and the loss was shocking, because Strickland was a heavy underdog, and because Adesanya had been expected to win easily. It was a humbling defeat, and it showed that Adesanya, for all his skill, could be beaten by a fighter who was disciplined, tough, and willing to press forward for five rounds.

Adesanya took time away from the sport after the Strickland loss, and he returned in August 2024, to fight Dricus du Plessis, the South African champion who had beaten Strickland to win the title, at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia. The fight was close and hard, and Du Plessis, a strong, physical fighter, took Adesanya down in the fourth round and submitted him with a rear-naked choke. It was the first time Adesanya had been submitted in his MMA career, and it was a painful loss. He fought again in February 2025, against Nassourdine Imavov, a French fighter, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and he lost by knockout in the second round. Three losses in a row, after a career in which he had rarely lost, left Adesanya, and his fans, wondering whether his time at the top was over, and whether he could find a way back.

Adesanya’s recent losses have raised questions about his future, but they have not erased his achievements. He was a kickboxing star, he was a UFC middleweight champion, he defended his title five times, he won it back from Pereira, and he fought the best fighters of his generation. He is still only in his mid-thirties, and he still has the skill, the speed, and the creativity that made him a champion. Whether he can return to the top, and whether he wants to, remains to be seen. What is certain is that his story is not finished, and that the Stylebender, a man who has always found a way to adapt, may yet find a way back.

City Kickboxing and the Team Behind Him

Israel Adesanya’s success is not only his own. It is the success of City Kickboxing, the gym in Auckland where he trains, and of his coach, Eugene Bareman, a man who has built one of the best teams in MMA. City Kickboxing is home to many great fighters, including Alexander Volkanovski, the featherweight champion, and Dan Hooker, a lightweight contender, and it is known for its discipline, its hard work, and its family atmosphere. Bareman is a quiet, thoughtful coach, who teaches his fighters to be complete martial artists, to study their opponents, and to fight with intelligence. Adesanya has thrived in that environment, and he has become the face of the gym, a fighter who represents its values and its style.

The team at City Kickboxing is close, and the fighters support each other, training together, cornering each other, and celebrating each other’s wins. Adesanya and Volkanovski, two champions from the same gym, have a special bond, and they have spoken about each other with respect and affection. That bond is a reminder that even in an individual sport like MMA, a fighter needs a team, a coach who believes in him, and training partners who push him to be better. Adesanya has had that team since he was a young kickboxer, and it has been a central part of his success. Without City Kickboxing, without Eugene Bareman, and without the fighters who train alongside him, Adesanya would not be the fighter he is today.

Style, Anime, and Being Yourself

Israel Adesanya is known for his style, both in the cage and outside it, and that style is a central part of who he is. In the cage, he fights with a creativity that is rare in MMA, using feints, head movement, and strikes from angles that no one expects. He is a fan of anime, and he has said that anime taught him about fighting, about heroes, and about the importance of style. He takes his nickname, the Last Stylebender, from Avatar: The Last Airbender, and he has used that name to build a brand that is unique in the sport. He dances before fights, he celebrates with anime poses, and he is not afraid to be himself, even when himself is different from what people expect a fighter to be.

Outside the cage, Adesanya is a fashion icon, a man who wears bold clothes, who speaks openly about his interests, and who is comfortable in his own skin. He has been criticised for being different, for being too flamboyant, or for not being tough enough, but he has never changed who he is. That authenticity has made him loved by fans around the world, especially by young people who see in him a person who is not afraid to be different. He shows that a fighter can love anime, can love dance, and can still be one of the best in the world. That is a powerful message, and it is one that goes beyond sport. It says that you do not have to fit into a box to be great. You can be yourself, and you can still win.

Adesanya’s style has also influenced a generation of fighters, who have studied his movement, his feints, and his ability to read an opponent. He has shown that striking in MMA can be an art, not only a brawl, and that a fighter who is creative, intelligent, and disciplined can dominate a division. His legacy, as a striker and as a personality, will last long after his fighting days are over, because he changed what people thought a fighter could be, and he did it by being himself.

The Costa Win and the Peak of the Reign

The fight against Paulo Costa in September 2020, at UFC 253 in Abu Dhabi, was the peak of Israel Adesanya’s reign as middleweight champion, and it deserves to be remembered as one of his finest performances. Costa was a Brazilian fighter, unbeaten, powerful, and known for his aggressive style, and he had talked a great deal before the fight, promising to knock Adesanya out. Adesanya did not respond with anger. He responded with a masterclass, using leg kicks to slow Costa down, landing punches from a distance, and, in the second round, dropping Costa and finishing him with punches on the ground. It was a complete performance, and it showed Adesanya at his best: fast, accurate, creative, and calm. He had beaten an unbeaten challenger, and he had done it in a way that left no doubt. The win made him a star, and it confirmed that he was the best middleweight in the world.

My Take:

I have watched Israel Adesanya fight many times, and I still find him fascinating, because he is not like other fighters. He moves differently, he talks differently, and he thinks differently. He is a man who loves anime, who loves dance, and who is not afraid to be himself in a sport that often rewards conformity. That authenticity is rare, and it is brave, and I admire it. In a world where fighters are often told to be tough, to be silent, and to fit in, Adesanya chose to be himself, to wear bold clothes, to dance, and to talk about the cartoons he loved as a boy. That takes courage, and it has made him a hero to young people who feel different, who love anime, and who want to be fighters without giving up who they are. I think that is a beautiful part of his story, and it is one that goes beyond winning and losing.

I think about Lagos a great deal, because Adesanya was born there, and he moved to New Zealand when he was ten, a move that changed his life. He was a Nigerian boy in a New Zealand school, he was bullied, he was shy, and he struggled to fit in. He found confidence in martial arts, first in taekwondo, then in kickboxing, and then in MMA. That story, of a boy who moves to a new country, who feels like an outsider, and who finds a way to belong through sport, is a story that many people can understand. It is a story about immigration, about identity, and about the power of sport to give a young person a place in the world. Adesanya did not forget Lagos when he became famous. He speaks about Nigeria with pride, he carries the Nigerian flag, and he shows that you can be both Nigerian and a New Zealander, and that both parts of you matter. That is a lesson for anyone who has ever felt caught between two cultures.

What I admire most about Adesanya as a fighter is his creativity. He does not fight like other people. He feints, he moves his head, he lands strikes from angles that no one expects, and he makes it look easy. That creativity comes from his kickboxing background, from his love of anime, and from a mind that sees fighting as an art, not only as a sport. He is a Stylebender, and the name fits, because he bends his style to fit any opponent, any moment, and any fight. I think that creativity is a gift, and it is a gift that Adesanya has used brilliantly. He has shown that striking in MMA can be beautiful, that it can be intelligent, and that it can be a form of expression. That is a legacy that will last, because young fighters will study his movement for years to come, trying to learn how he did what he did.

The Gastelum fight in April 2019 is the fight I think about most, because it shows Adesanya’s heart. He was winning, he was losing, he was hurt, and he came back, round after round, to win a war. That fight was not beautiful. It was brutal, it was hard, and it was a test of will. Adesanya passed that test, and he showed that he was not only a technical fighter, but a tough one, a man who could dig deep when a fight became a battle. I think that is an important lesson. Talent is not enough. You need heart, you need toughness, and you need the ability to keep going when you are hurt and tired. Adesanya showed that heart against Gastelum, and he showed it again against Pereira, when he came back from a loss to win the rematch. That heart is what makes him a champion, not only his skill.

The Pereira rivalry is the part of Adesanya’s career that I find most compelling, because it is a rivalry that spans two sports, kickboxing and MMA, and that has defined both men. Pereira beat Adesanya twice in kickboxing, and once in MMA, and Adesanya beat Pereira once in MMA, in a rematch that was one of the great comebacks in the sport. That rivalry shows that even the greatest fighters have a nemesis, a person who can beat them, and who forces them to be better. Adesanya could have avoided Pereira, he could have fought other opponents, but he chose to face him, again and again, because he wanted to prove that he could beat him. That courage is admirable, and it is a lesson for all of us. Do not avoid the person who beats you. Face them, learn from them, and try again. Adesanya did that, and he won the rematch, and that win is one of the greatest moments of his career.

I also have to be honest about Adesanya’s recent losses, because they are a part of his story, and they raise questions about his future. He lost to Strickland in 2023, in a shocking upset, he lost to Du Plessis in 2024, by submission, and he lost to Imavov in 2025, by knockout. Three losses in a row, after a career in which he had rarely lost, is a hard thing to face, and it leaves fans wondering whether Adesanya’s time at the top is over. I do not know the answer, and I do not think anyone does. What I do know is that Adesanya is still a great fighter, still a creative striker, and still a man who has the skill to beat anyone on his best day. Whether he can find his best day again, after three losses, is a question only he can answer. I hope he can, because I would like to see him return to the top, but I also understand that time catches up with every fighter, and that Adesanya may be facing that moment now.

I also think about City Kickboxing, and about the team behind Adesanya, because his success is not only his own. Eugene Bareman, his coach, has built one of the best teams in MMA, and Adesanya has thrived in that environment. The gym is a family, and the fighters support each other, training together, cornering each other, and celebrating each other’s wins. That team spirit is a reminder that even in an individual sport, a fighter needs people around him, people who believe in him, who push him, and who tell him the truth. Adesanya has had that team since he was a young kickboxer, and it has been a central part of his success. I think that is a lesson for anyone who wants to achieve something great. You cannot do it alone. You need a team, a coach, and people who believe in you, and Adesanya has been lucky to have that team.

If I had to choose one word to describe Israel Adesanya, it would be style. He is stylish in the cage, stylish outside it, and stylish in the way he lives his life. He is not afraid to be different, he is not afraid to be himself, and he is not afraid to take risks. That style has made him a star, and it has made him a role model for young people who feel different. I think that is a legacy to be proud of, and it is one that will last long after his fighting days are over. Adesanya showed the world that a fighter can love anime, can love dance, and can still be one of the best in the world. That is a powerful message, and it is one that I hope young people hear.

I also think about the future, and about what Adesanya will do next. He is still in his mid-thirties, he still has time, and he still has the skill to compete at the highest level. Whether he fights again, and who he fights, remains to be seen. What is certain is that his story is not finished, and that the Stylebender, a man who has always found a way to adapt, may yet find a way back to the top. I hope he does, because I would like to see him win again, and I would like to see him prove that three losses do not define a career. But even if he does not, his legacy is secure. He was a kickboxing star, he was a UFC middleweight champion, he defended his title five times, and he fought the best fighters of his generation. That is enough. That is more than enough, and it is a career to be proud of.

Finally, I want to say something to anyone who reads Adesanya’s story and feels inspired by it. Do not try to be Israel Adesanya. Try to be like him in the ways that matter: be yourself, work hard, be creative, and never be afraid to be different. Adesanya’s story is not only about fighting. It is about a boy from Lagos who moved to New Zealand, who was bullied, who found confidence in martial arts, and who became a champion by being himself. If you can do that, in whatever you do, you will have a life to be proud of, whether you ever win a title or not. Adesanya won titles, and he won them brilliantly, but the titles are not the most important part of his story. The most important part is the man himself: a Stylebender, a dancer, a fighter, and a person who was never afraid to be different. I also think about the Romero fight in March 2020, because it was a fight that many people criticised, and it teaches a different lesson. Adesanya fought Yoel Romero, a Cuban wrestler known for his power, and the fight was slow, cautious, and, in the eyes of many fans, boring. Adesanya won on points, but the crowd booed, and the UFC president criticised him. I think that fight shows something important about being a champion. Sometimes, winning is not about being exciting. It is about being smart, about not taking risks, and about doing what you need to do to keep your title. Adesanya did that against Romero, and he was criticised for it, but he kept his belt. That is a lesson. You cannot always please the crowd. Sometimes you have to do the smart thing, even if it is not the popular thing, and Adesanya did that, and I respect him for it.

There is also a lesson in Adesanya’s story about being different. He loves anime, he loves dance, and he is not afraid to show it, even in a sport where many fighters try to look tough all the time. That difference has made him a target for criticism, but it has also made him a hero to young people who feel different themselves. I think about a boy in Lagos, or in Auckland, who loves anime and who wants to be a fighter, and who sees Adesanya and thinks, I can be like him. I can love what I love, and I can still be a champion. That is a powerful message, and it is one that Adesanya has given freely, by being himself. He did not hide who he was to fit in. He showed who he was, and the world accepted him for it. That takes courage, and I admire it.

Finally, I want to say something about the future, because Adesanya’s story is not over, and I do not know how it will end. He has lost three fights in a row, and he is facing questions about whether he can return to the top. I hope he can, because I would like to see him win again, but I also know that every fighter’s time comes to an end, and that Adesanya may be facing that moment now. Whatever happens, his legacy is secure. He was a kickboxing star, he was a UFC champion, and he was a Stylebender who changed what people thought a fighter could be. That is enough, and it is more than enough. I will remember him as a creative, brave, and different champion, and I think that is how he should be remembered. I also think about the Brunson fight in November 2018, because it was Adesanya’s fourth UFC fight, and it showed how fast he was rising. Derek Brunson was a tough American wrestler, a former title challenger, and he was expected to test Adesanya’s takedown defence. Adesanya knocked him out in the first round, landing a knee and punches that ended the fight in less than four minutes. It was a stunning performance, and it announced Adesanya as a future champion. He was not only a kickboxer who had moved to MMA. He was a complete fighter, with takedown defence, with power, and with a style that no one in the division could solve. That win put him on the path to the title, and he never looked back.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did Israel Adesanya become UFC middleweight champion?

He beat Robert Whittaker by knockout in the second round at UFC 243 in Melbourne in October 2019, unifying the middleweight title after winning the interim belt against Kelvin Gastelum earlier that year.

What is Israel Adesanya’s nickname and where does it come from?

He calls himself the Last Stylebender, a name taken from the television show Avatar: The Last Airbender. It reflects his creative, adaptable striking style and his love of anime.

How many times did Israel Adesanya fight Alex Pereira?

They fought twice in kickboxing, with Pereira winning both, and twice in MMA. Pereira beat Adesanya at UFC 281 in November 2022, and Adesanya won the rematch by knockout at UFC 287 in April 2023 to regain his title.

Why did Israel Adesanya lose to Sean Strickland?

Strickland beat him by unanimous decision at UFC 293 in Sydney in September 2023, dropping him in the first round and controlling the fight for five rounds. It was one of the great upsets in UFC history.

Where is Israel Adesanya from?

He was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and moved to New Zealand with his family when he was ten years old. He lives and trains in Auckland, at City Kickboxing, and he represents both Nigeria and New Zealand.

How many times did Israel Adesanya defend the middleweight title?

He defended the undisputed middleweight title five times, against Yoel Romero, Paulo Costa, Marvin Vettori, Robert Whittaker, and Jared Cannonier, between March 2020 and July 2022.