A Look Back at “The Last Stylebender’s” Career Up to Now

Coming off of the longest layoff of his MMA career at 343 days, Israel Adesanya (24-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) returns to take on fellow African-born fighter and current UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus du Plessis (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in Perth, Western Australia this weekend at UFC 305. Having lost the belt previously to Sean Strickland last September at UFC 293, Adesanya is looking to rebound and begin a history-defining third title reign with a win over the thriving “Stillknocks.”

Adesanya’s Victories Include Impressive Names

With a perfect UFC record of 7-0, having taken down a bevy of middleweight greats like Brad Tavares, Derek Brunson, Robert Whittaker, and Sean Strickland, du Plessis has looked near flawless in his rise to the top of the division.  For the South African native, a victory over one of the greatest 185-lb champions of all time would be a defining moment for his legacy, as well as the ideal start to a strong championship reign.

Although some may be doubting that the challenger has what it takes to drive back the relentless pressure of the incumbent, a seemingly rejuvenated Adesanya appears more than eager to steal the show on Saturday. With his body and mind now fully refreshed after getting in some much-needed rest, the former five-time defending champion may just have enough drive left in the tank to add even more to his credibility of being an all-time UFC legend. 

“The Last Stylebender” Turns to Kickboxing

Before he rose to become the icon that he is today, Israel Adesanya’s journey into combat sports began as a teenager after watching the hit martial arts film Ong-Bak. The movie left a strong impression on the young Adesanya, who decided to start training in kickboxing not long after watching it. 

Compiling a sterling amateur record of 32-0, the future star made his professional kickboxing debut in 2010 and would go on to compete all over the world, particularly in China. He performed so well there, in fact, that he was tasked with representing the country at several prominent kickboxing events, eventually earning the moniker of “Heilong,” or “The Black Dragon.” 

Adesanya Goes to the Cage

By the time he transitioned fully into MMA, Adesanya had garnered a kickboxing record of 75-5, with two of those defeats coming at the literal hands of his soon-to-be UFC nemesis, Alex Pereira. He also scored several major titles such as the WKBF New Zealand Cruiserweight Championship, the WMC Oceania Cruiserweight Championship, and the King in the Ring Heavyweights III Tournament Championship.

While he was setting the world on fire with his impressive kickboxing abilities, Adesanya quietly started to build up a solid reputation as a mixed martial artist. Fighting across various Oceanic and Chinese promotions from 2012 to 2017, “The Last Stylebender” grew to become one of the top prospects on the planet after going 11-0 in that time stretch and scoring knockout wins over past and future UFC competitors in Song Kenan and Melvin Guillard.

Then, on Feb. 11, 2018, Adesanya made his long-awaited UFC debut at UFC 221, where he starched future PFL Light Heavyweight Champion Robert Wilkinson, winning a Performance of the Night award in the process. Arriving in style for his first outing in the world-famous Octagon, Adesanya quickly soared through the middleweight rankings in what would become a splendid meteoric rise. Competing four more times over almost the next year, he rattled off victories over such divisional standouts like Marvin Vettori, Brad Tavares, Derek Brunson, and Anderson Silva.

Adesanya Secures Interim Gold

Now one of the best 185-lb. contenders in the promotion, Adesanya was given easily the toughest test of his career up until that point when he billed as the co-main event of UFC 236 opposite Kelvin Gastelum for the UFC Interim Middleweight Championship. Though he opened as a slight favorite in the matchup, the bout was far from a cakewalk for the then undefeated “The Last Stylebender”, with Gastelum pushing Adesanya to the brink, including dropping him at several points. In the fifth and final round, however, the Nigerian native rallied with a superb display of heart and kickboxing finesse to win the fight on all three judge’s scorecards to earn the interim title. To this day, the contest is considered a classic, with some pundits naming it one of the greatest fights of all time. 

With the interim championship wrapped around his waist, there was only one last adversary for Adesanya to vanquish before he could call himself the best middleweight in the sport, Robert Whittaker. Having won eight straight bouts since moving up from welterweight in 2014, Whittaker had also captured the interim strap following a brutal five-round war with Yoel Romero in 2017 before being promoted to undisputed champion later that year. 

A Unification at Middleweight and Title Reign

Headlining UFC 243, the pair faced off in one of the more anticipated 185-lb.  scraps in recent years. Making the first official defense of his title, Whittaker was viewed as a slight betting favorite to retain his throne versus the surging Adesanya. However, in comparison to his last fight, which went all five rounds, “The Last Stylebender” only needed two to put down “The Reaper”, knocking him out with a devastating counter left hook to seize the undisputed middleweight championship. 

In time, Adesanya would positively flourish as the champion, logging five consecutive title defenses in the coming three years over Yoel Romero, Paulo Costa, Marvin Vettori, Robert Whittaker again, and Jared Cannonier. His only setback along this path of dominance came at UFC 259 when he vied for fabled double-champ status against 205-lb. kingpin Jan Blachowicz before falling short against the Pole by unanimous decision, suffering his first loss in the promotion.

By this point, Adesanya, now possessing the record for second most middleweight title defenses, is regarded as an all-time great in the sport. However, swiftly making his way up the rankings, a ghost from “The Last Stylebender”’s past had come back to face off with him once again, the last man to ever best him in competition, Alex Pereira.

Adesanya vs. Pereira, Part II and Clash with Strickland

Leading up to their clash at UFC 281, fans were wondering if Adesanya could defeat the same man who had already beaten him twice, with their last encounter ending in a big knockout win for the Brazilian. For the first four rounds, though, the champion looked to have silenced those concerns when he largely controlled the fight with his grappling and precise striking. That was until the fifth and last round when “Poatan” managed to back Adesanya to the cage, landing a monstrous left hook, rocking the New Zealander before finishing the bout with punches to earn his third victory over his former kickboxing foe. 

Not having to wait long for another crack at his rival, a mere five months later, Adesanya battled Pereira for a second time in MMA at UFC 287 in what shaped up to be a climatic rematch in the saga between two of the best martial artists on the planet. Initially, it appeared that the bigger Pereira was on track for a repeat performance after dealing the former champion some hard blows in round one. However, in true underdog fashion, and in one of the most memorable finishes in UFC history, Adesanya finally conquered “Poatan” by flooring the Brazilian with a flush right hand and subsequent hammerfists to reclaim his position as the man to beat at 185 lbs. 

Seeking to kickstart the second part of his middleweight dynasty, “The Last Stylebender” next crossed paths with fan-favorite striker Sean Strickland at UFC 293. After putting a fork in his electrifying rivalry with Pereira, it looked as if Adesanya was back on track to continue his ascension toward further stardom with a commanding victory over his American adversary. Except, unbeknownst to everyone, Strickland would proceed to record a jaw-dropping upset when he bafflingly scored a unanimous decision over the champion, even nearly knocking out Adesanya in the very first round. 

Final Thoughts

We now arrive at UFC 305, and, with his lingering injuries and burnout seemingly behind him, Israel Adesanya is attempting to earn middleweight gold for a historic third time against Dricus Du Plessis. Whether “The Last Stylebender” can pull off another monumental comeback or if his time at the head of the pack at 185 lbs. is over remains to be seen. Regardless, Adesanya has already etched his name into the annals of MMA greatness, and should he prevail over “Stillknocks,” he might just enter the conversation for being considered the greatest middleweight of all-time.