Israel Adesanya News
Israel Adesanya says Paulo Costa probably isn't next, but expects to fight him multiple times
Tom Taylor - July 11, 2018
Israel Adesanya, who thumped Brad Tavares in the TUF 27 Finale main event, and Paulo Costa, who smoked Uriah Hall on the UFC 226 undercard, are two of the fastest rising stars in the UFC middleweight division. In fact, they’re two of the fastest rising stars in any UFC division. Given that they both picked up decisive wins over established UFC middleweights last weekend, many fans and pundits began calling for a matchup between them. Apparently, however, any potential fight between the pair is likely to occur later on.
TUF 27 Finale Results | Israel Adesanya defeats Brad Tavares (Highlights)
Chris Taylor - July 6, 2018
A middleweight bout featuring streaking division contenders Brad Tavares and Israel Adesanya headlined tonight’s TUF 27 Finale event in Las Vegas. Adesanya entered the contest sporting a perfect 13-0 record while the Hawaiian, Tavares, came in at 17-5 overall.
Israel Adesanya says he'd love to fight Darren Till in the future
Tom Taylor - July 4, 2018
UFC middleweight prospect Israel Adesanya and welterweight contender Darren Till are two of the fastest rising stars in the UFC today. And while they currently operate in different weight classes, Adesanya expects that to change in the future. Speaking to MMA Fighting‘s Peter Carroll, Adesanya shared his belief that Till’s struggles with the scale, which recently manifested themselves when he missed weight for a welterweight fight with Stephen Thompson, will eventually force him up to the middleweight division.
Israel Adesanya goes off on Yoel Romero for "almost cheating"
Tom Taylor - July 4, 2018
Yoel Romero has dazzled fans in his first two bouts of 2018, first clubbing former champ Luke Rockhold into unconsciousness in February, then engaging current champ Robert Whittaker in one of the year’s best fights in June. Unfortunately, both of Romero’s 2018 bouts have been served with a side of controversy, as he failed to make weight on both occasions. It’s for this reason that surging middleweight contender Israel Adesanya has found it hard to root for him. In Adesanya’s eyes, Romero’s repeated failure to make weight is encroaching on cheating.
BREAKING | Brad Tavares out of fight with Israel Adesanya, replacement in mind
Drake Riggs - June 7, 2018
“You know this kid Israel [Adesanya]? He’s actually the main event on The Ultimate Fighter [27] finale.” Dana White told TMZ, “And Brad Tavares, I don’t think anybody knows this yet, but Brad Tavares just this morning broke his foot. He’s out of that fight right now with Israel. So we’re looking to put somebody new in with this kid. I’m excited about him.
Israel Adesanya already has another opponent in mind if he beats Brad Tavares
Tom Taylor - May 16, 2018
Having won his first two UFC bouts, kickboxing export Israel Adesanya has been rewarded with a main event battle with well-established middleweight veteran Brad Tavares. The pair’s bout headlines The Ultimate Fighter 27 Finale on July 6. Interestingly, this bout with Tavares is one that Adesanya asked for. And if he gets past the Hawaiian star, he plans on asking for another specific matchup: a fight with the winner of Uriah Hall and Paulo Costa’s fight, which goes down July 7 at UFC 226.
Under the MMA Microscope | Is the UFC hyping the wrong fighters?
Drake Riggs - May 11, 2018
In the current UFC era, it’s been made loud and clear what the new ownership’s motives are: get rich or die tryin’. Well…maybe not to that extreme of a level but 50 Cent has been getting involved with the MMA scene lately(whatever that means) so don’t tell me that that’s not a good quote choice. Everybody loves a good hype train. Especially when it is natural, warranted and deserved. What don’t people love? A forced hype train. Thus begging the question, has the UFC been putting hype behind the wrong fighters?
Israel Adesanya and Brad Tavares booked for TUF 27 Finale main event
Tom Taylor - April 30, 2018
After two victories inside the UFC’s Octagon, kickboxing transplant Israel Adesanya has been booked for his first main event battle. “The Last Stylebender” will collide with Hawaii’s Brad Tavares in the headliner of The Ultimate Fighter 27 Finale in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 6. Brad Tavares (@BradTavares) vs. Israel Adesanya (@stylebender) set for TUF 27 Finale in Las Vegas #UFC pic.twitter.com/gakShTbjiq
UFC Glendale Results: Israel Adesanya defeats Marvin Vettori
Chris Taylor - April 14, 2018
UFC Glendale Results: Israel Adesanya defeats Marvin Vettori A middleweight scrap between Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori took place during tonight’s UFC on FOX 29 main card in Glendale, Arizona.
VIDEO | Israel Adesanya Believes Ronda Rousey Should 'Get That Money and F-ck Everybody Else'
Justin Golightly - March 15, 2018
MMA is a revolving door of talent. When one person leaves, hundreds more are waiting to take their place. Despite logging in nearly 80 fights in kickboxing and boxing, Israel Adesanya is just starting his UFC career as Ronda Rousey moves on in her new WWE career. Adesanya is familiar with the bandwagon jumpers, but also smart enough to know that fickle fans will abandom him just like they’ve done to so many other UFC fighters. If the young prospect could give any advice to Rousey, it’s to not care what anyone thinks and just do her own thing. “[I’m] 100 percent [behind Ronda Rousey], you see the work those guys put in and people are so quick to forget [about Rousey’s other accomplishments]. I don’t buy into the whole fandom, I just think with people who are with me. People are so quick to forget how great Ronda was, how much of a pioneer she was in the game.”
The UFC Has Already Had a Talk With Israel Adesanya About His 'Imaginary Dick'
Justin Golightly - March 8, 2018
If you weren’t already one singing The Last Style Bender Israel Adesanya’s praises, after just one fight in the UFC he’s already got everyone talking about him. Between the way he talks and the way he wants, but more importantly the way he fights, he’s another young prospect that is hyped to potentially be the next big thing. However, while being controversial can get a lot of eyes on you, it can also turn them away. The UFC isn’t too happy with his pre and post-fight peeing potentially ritual deterring sponsors. “[The UFC] told my manager that, ‘We handle a lot of sponsors, millions of dollars in sponsors. So for him to pretend to be with his dick out and shaking it after he pees as well or whatever, it’s not really a good look.’ For me, how I see it is, f-ck, what are the sponsors worried about: Me pretending to whip an imaginary dick out and pee everywhere to mark my territory or just watching me just beat the f-ck out of a dude? I don’t know what kind of game these sponsors are playing or whatever, but for me, I just have to make a statement and that statement is pretty clear: This is my cage. Any top dog would do it. My stench is still there. Whenever I get back into the cage, I’m sure I’ll smell it.” – Israel Adesanya speaking to FloCombat’s Top Turtle podcast.
Israel Adesanya Says He and Robert Whittaker Are Two Dogs Looking at Each Other
Justin Golightly - March 2, 2018
Israel Adesanya believes that destiny has been leading him to everywhere he’s been so far. Traveling the world becoming a master of styles finally resulted in him breaking into the UFC and marking his territory after his successful debut. Carrying on with his mystical journey, Adesanya doesn’t see any other location his pilgrimage takes him other than against Robert Whittaker for the UFC middleweight title. “With Robert [Whittaker], for whatever reason, he might lose the belt then gain it back, or I gain it and he tries to take it away from me in Spark Arena. But I just know me and him are gonna fight in Auckland by the end of 2019, and I just see the way we are because he’s good, I’m great. You know, it’s just gonna be for the belt. I’ve never met the guy. I’ve seen him across the room or across places, but I’ve never really had a word with him. It’s never anything personal, it’s just business, it’s just the game we’re in. He knows. It’s a fighter thing. When you look at each other and you just kind of have this potential of like, ‘Yeah, I see you, you see me’. It’s just a thing.”
Israel Adesanya Booked for Violent UFC Glendale Card Against Marvin Vettori
Justin Golightly - February 24, 2018
After his masterful performance against Rob Wilkinson at UFC 221 followed by a ceremonial ‘marking of his territory’, The Last Style Bender Israel Adesanya wanted to jump right back into the Octagon and continue his now 12-fight win streak in MMA, which is just a small blip next to his nearly 60 victories in kickboxing and boxing combined. It looks like he got his wish, Adesanya will fight former Venator FC welterweight champion, Marvin Vettori at UFC Glendale. Maybe I’m doing this UFC thing wrong. But issokay…I’m different 🙂#ufcglendale #mamamia #basghettibolonaise pic.twitter.com/VjmUBUQRoy
Israel Adesanya Dares the UFC to Not Protect Him Because He Doesn't Need It
Justin Golightly - February 23, 2018
For those who were in the know, Israel Adesanya’s debut at UFC 221 was highly anticipated. After he dissected his opponent and gave his fire emoji post-fight speech though, everyone was leaping onto the bandwagon. Since then, he’s followed up with social media posts and more media appearances, proving to everyone that he’s ready for the spotlight. Some are worried that his performance and personality will cause the UFC to fast track the prospect, but Adesanya isn’t worried about that one bit. In fact, he welcomes it. “That’s why we took so long to get to the UFC. We took our time coming to the UFC because we wanted to make sure that if they gave us a top-15 or top-10 or even top-5 straight away, that I would be ready. We wanted to make sure that I could take on anyone in the world. All these other people coming from ‘Looking for a Fight’ and they jump in the UFC after 3 or 4 fights, some of them do well, some of them don’t. Before you swim in the depths of the ocean you got to make sure you can swim with sharks. The difference is I don’t just swim with the sharks, I eat them and that’s what I’m about to do.”
Israel Adesanya Isn't Short on Confidence, "I’ve been here for a long time, you guys are just late to the party"
Drake Riggs - February 16, 2018
Very few performances were quite as impressive as the debuting Israel ‘Stylebender’ Adesanya’s at UFC 221. The Nigerian born kickboxer put on a striking masterclass against Rob Wilkinson after stifling his takedown attempts in the first round. Adesanya systematically broke Wilkinson down with punches, kicks and elbows before he eventually wilted and the referee was forced to stop the action. At only 28, Adesanya doesn’t care who he fights next because quite frankly as he told MMAJunkie…he believes the result will be the same no matter who he fights.
Israel Adesanya Blasts Sponsors Who Missed Out on the Hype Train
Justin Golightly - February 13, 2018
In the lead up to UFC 221, we tried to educate you on Israel Adesanya and why his debut — despite barely any promotion — was one the most hyped UFC debuts since Conor McGregor. He didn’t let any “kickboxing hipsters” who were singing his praises to friends on social media down, as he dominated his fight with surgical precision then proceeded to cut a fun promo in the Octagon. After a nearly 80 fight journey has finally culminated in being in the premier MMA league on the planet, he recently sent a message to those that closed the doors on him. “Sponsors. Shout out to the ones that turned me down. The ones that said, “You’re not what were looking for at the moment.’ The ones that “helped” me only to help themselves, then keep reminding you they “helped” you four years ago. I f-ck with Ash James [from ENGAGE Fight Wear] because he saw the potential of what I could do beyond just fighting. He bought in early and helped me along some highs and lows of this game, because he’s a good c-nt. The rest of you corporations trying to buy in now because I’m hot in these streets, my stock is rising, it’s gonna keep rising and the buy-in rate just tripled. Also, you have to be a GC.”—Israel Adesanya via his official Instagram.
UFC 221 Results: Israel Adesanya TKO's Rob Wilkinson (VIDEO)
Chris Taylor - February 10, 2018
UFC 221 Results: Israel Adesanya TKO’s Rob Wilkinson A middleweight scrap between highly touted promotional newcomer Israel Adesanya and hometown favorite Rob Wilkinson took place on tonight’s UFC 221 prelims.
VIDEO | Israel Adesanya Promises You're Dealing With a New Breed at UFC 221
Justin Golightly - February 9, 2018
Most fighters hope their style gets labeled as something that resembles a killer like Jon Jones or strikes comparisons to the legend Anderson Silva, but not ‘Style Bender’ Israel Adesanya. While he may fit the body type and skill set, he’d rather you not disrespect them — or him for that matter — by constructing mental Venn diagrams of him and them. Going into his UFC debut tomorrow, he wants to showcase something completely new. He wants to showcase himself. “Don’t insult [Jon Jones, Anderson Silva or Michael ‘Venom’ Page] or me by comparing us. I know what they’re trying to do, I know what they’re trying to say, but we’re different people. I watched Anderson Silva at UFC 90. I think it was my first pay-per-view I watched of him. Before that I watched some DVDs, but then UFC 90 I watched him live fight Patrick Cote. He used — probably in the first round — 10 different styles and then in the second round used telekinesis to dismantle [Cote’s] knee. I was like, who’s this skinny black guy?”