Israel Mobolaji Odunayo Oluwafemi Temitayo Owolabi Adesanya is a Nigerian-New Zealander professional mixed martial artist, kickboxer, and former boxer with multiple championships in all three disciplines.
As a mixed martial artist, he currently competes in the Middleweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the former UFC Middleweight Champion. In kickboxing, he is a former Glory Middleweight Championship title, challenger.
Adesanya made his professional debut in 2012, with a TKO win against James Griffiths. He scored another TKO win against John Vake, before taking a two-year hiatus from mixed martial arts.
In December 2017, it was announced that Adesanya had signed a contract with the UFC. He made his debut against Rob Wilkinson on 11 February 2018, at UFC 221.[53] He won the fight via technical knockout in the second round.
Adesanya is widely regarded as one of the best strikers in mixed martial arts, both offensively and defensively. As of 23 August 2022, he is #2 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings.
Who is the only person to knock out Israel Adesanya?
Alex Pereira is the only person to knock out Israel Adesanya – and he’s done it twice.
Pereira scored a come-from-behind victory against Adesanya at UFC 281 on Saturday night to become the new UFC middleweight champion inside Madison Square Garden.
The fight will be a bitter pill for Adesanya to swallow. Similar to their two kickboxing fights, Adesanya was winning the contest until he wasn’t. Adesanya nearly added to UFC 281’s seven first-round stoppages with a one-two that had Pereira in all sorts of trouble.
Adesanya’s devastating shot came in the final second of Round 1, but he did not have the time necessary to capitalize. Pereira’s corner was panicked in their efforts to get their fighter’s head straight.
Pereira bounced back well in Round 2. It was a competitive if unspectacular, round that likely went in the challenger’s favour.
Adesanya scored the first takedown of his 14-fight UFC career in Round 3 and decisively controlled Pereira for the remainder of the round. Adesanya fatigued Pereira with pressure, ground-and-pound and a pretty axe kick at the end of Round 3.
Pereira was noticeably laboured in Round 4 and his output was severely limited. Adesanya was defensively sound, picking away at his opponent in a round that was clearly his.
Pereira’s corner implored him to find the finish in Round 5, aware that Adesanya likely had a 3-1 lead on the judges’ scorecards. The UFC broadcast confirmed post-fight that Adesanya was up on all three judges’ scorecards heading into the final frame.
Pereira answered the call, blitzed Adesanya and rocked him with heavy shots against the fence. Adesanya desperately bobbed and weaved but ate uppercuts and other big shots until the referee intervened.