He has consistently used his platform to celebrate his Nigerian roots. For a generation of African fighters and fans, he showed that the path to a UFC title was possible.
Recent UFC results
Dricus du Plessis submitted Israel Adesanya in the fourth round at UFC 305 in August 2024. In Adesanya’s next bout, Nassourdine Imavov stopped him by knockout 30 seconds into the second round in Riyadh on 1 February 2025. These results followed Adesanya’s two reigns as UFC middleweight champion.
Profile at a glance
Full name
Israel Mobolaji Temitayo Odunayo Oluwafemi Owolabi Adesanya
Fighting name
Israel “The Last Stylebender” Adesanya
Date of birth
22 July 1989
Birthplace
Lagos, Nigeria
Heritage
Yoruba
Nationality
Nigerian and New Zealand (dual)
Discipline
Mixed martial arts (former kickboxer and boxer)
Promotion
UFC, Middleweight division
UFC titles
Two time UFC Middleweight Champion
Background and early life
Adesanya was born in Lagos and lived in Nigeria for the first ten years of his life before his family relocated to Rotorua, New Zealand in 1999. He took up kickboxing as a teenager after watching anime characters with martial arts skills, a story he has retold often. He competed in the New Zealand amateur kickboxing circuit through his late teens before turning professional and racking up a kickboxing record that included multiple international title bouts and a January 2017 challenge for the Glory Middleweight Championship.
UFC career
Adesanya signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship in early 2018. He worked his way to a UFC Middleweight title shot in 18 months, capturing the interim title against Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236 in April 2019 in what was widely regarded as one of the best UFC fights of that decade. He unified the title against Robert Whittaker at UFC 243 in Melbourne in October 2019.
His first reign ran from 2019 to November 2022, with successful defences against Yoel Romero, Paulo Costa, Marvin Vettori (twice), Jared Cannonier, and a rematch with Whittaker. He lost the belt to Alex Pereira at UFC 281 on 12 November 2022 in a fifth round stoppage. The rematch at UFC 287 in April 2023 saw Adesanya regain the title by knockout, beginning a second reign that ran until September 2023, when he lost to Sean Strickland at UFC 293.
Adesanya took a brief sabbatical in 2024 before returning to the middleweight rankings through 2025.
Kickboxing career before the UFC
Before signing with the Ultimate Fighting Championship in early 2018, Adesanya compiled a professional kickboxing record of 75 wins and 5 losses (27 of them by knockout or technical knockout), competing primarily in New Zealand, Australia, and China. He challenged Jason Wilnis for the Glory Middleweight Championship at Glory 37 in Los Angeles on 20 January 2017, losing a unanimous decision that drew boos from the arena, and he also challenged for the Hex Fight Series Middleweight title. His kickboxing style, built on extended striking range and unorthodox movement, formed the basis of the MMA approach he later took into the UFC, where his striking has remained the most decorated dimension of his game.
How the UFC title timeline fits together
Adesanya’s championship record is easiest to understand chronologically: an interim title preceded his first undisputed reign, later defeats ended that run, and the 2023 rematch with Alex Pereira brought a second championship. The UFC profile records opponents, dates and results, while the ESPN record offers a separate fight history. Together they provide a firmer basis than promotional summaries.
Sources and verification
We checked key biographical and career claims on this page against the primary or authoritative references below. Follow the links for the source record and its latest updates.
Max Adeyemi is a Lagos-based writer covering Nigerian and African entertainment, sport, business, and culture. He has spent over a decade tracking the careers, controversies, and quiet achievements of the people who move the culture. He writes all profiles on Nolly.
