The following facts about Israel Adesanya AKA The StyleBender will increase the admiration from fans of the Mixed Martial Arts champion. His road to fame and fortune has not been an easy one, but a man who cannot conquer in life cannot conquer in the ring.
Israel Adesanya’s life story shows the connection between the mental attitude of a fighter in real life, and a Champion in the ring. But mixed with this never-say-die attitude is a fine dose of both talent and fortune.
Israel Adesanya is an inspiration to many young people today; as with all successful people, his life story is point of interest. Below are facts about his life; basically a summary of his story.
25 Shocking Revelations About Israel Adesanya
1. Israel Adesanya Was Born In Nigeria
That’s right, this MMA champion was born in Lagos, Nigeria, on July 22, 1989. He is from a middle class background; his father is an Accountant, and his mother is a Nurse. Despite living in America, he continues to identify as a Nigerian.
2. He Grew Up In New Zealand
At around 10 years of age, he moved to New Zealand, and that was where he became interested in martial arts. He desired to get a good education so that he could work in any of the professions, just like his parents.
3. He Was Bullied At School
Children can be mean to those who are different. Israel Adesanya suffered at the hands of his peers at school, and that was what prompted him to develop an interest in martial arts as a way of defending himself. Although, defending himself did not always require fighting; when people came to know of his fighting skills they usually left him alone.
He was also interested in Naruto, the Japanese animated series, and Ong Bak which involved a lot of fighting.
4. StyleBender
Israel Adesanya is called the StyleBender, which is a unique name akin to any of the Benders of the Avatar animated series which are also popular around the world. The name arises because his fighting style is a mix of several fighting styles.
Aside from his fighting style, he has a peculiar never-say-die attitude, which stands him out as one of the hardest fighters in Mixed Martial Arts.
5. A Hard Fighter
Israel Adesanya has the charisma and the instinct to keep fighting. This is one aspect of his personality in the ring; he keeps throwing punches so as to make it clear that he will not back down. Furthermore, Israel Adesanya adapts his style to that of his opponents, which further makes him difficult to beat.
6. Studied Computer Design
As stated earlier, Israel Adesanya came from a professional household, and from his childhood he had been groomed to be a professional. He studied Computer Design at the Universal College of Learning in Whanganui, New Zealand, but left his studies two years later.
7. Started With Kick Boxing
When he left school he went to China to learn Kick Boxing. He excelled at it; as an amateur he attained a record of 32–0. The logical next step was turning professional, which is exactly what he did. He became a professional and fought in China.
8. Started MMA At 21
He returned to Auckland, New Zealand when he was 21 years old, and started training in Mixed Martial Arts. It is not certain why he made this decision, but it looks like he may have made the decision because MMA was the more popular in the western world, and had more commercial advantage.
Chroniclers are divided as to whether to credit him with starting MMA at 21 years old because he was already a professional Kick-boxer in China before that. Some even argue that Kick-boxing is a harder form of Martial Arts, and that by moving to MMA he chose the softer sport.
9. Tall And Strong
Perhaps his most striking advantage in the ring is his height. Standing at 6ft4, he has a very good reach which keeps opponents at bay, while he figures out how to defeat them. Israel Adesanya is two handfuls for any fighter, especially in the Middle Weight and Light Heavy Weight categories.
10. Purple Belt
Israel Adesanya has a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He trained for this under trainer Andre Galvao. The sport is mostly about submission; wrestling the opponent to the ground, and getting him to submit.
11. Only Knocked Out Once
Throughout his career in Mixed Martial Arts he has only been knocked out once. That hard fight will continue to be a talking point in his MMA career, but it also shows what a hard fighter he truly is. Just consider his records.
12. Outstanding Record As A Fighter
Israel Adesanya has a record of 27 fights, 24 of which he has won (as of November 2023). He has won 16 of the 24 by knock out, and the other 8 by decision. Furthermore, he has suffered 3 losses, only one of which was by knockout.
In kick boxing, he also has a similar record. He has 80 fights; 75 of which are wins. He won 29 via knock out. He also lost 5, 1 through knock out.
13. Professional Boxer
Israel Adesanya is also a professional boxer; he has featured in Prizefights and won important competitions. He won a boxing competition in the Cruiser weight category in 2015, and successfully defended the title in the subsequent competition.
14. UFC Middleweight Champion
Israel Adesanya won the Interim UFC Middleweight Champion on 13 April 2019, against Kevin Gastelum. He won the fight by unanimous decision.
He again fought for the title, this time in a “title unification” match against Robert Whittaker on 6th October 2019. He defended this title several times, including fights against some renowned challengers.
15. Has Become A Sensation
Israel Adesanya is the first Nigerian to be a UFC champion. This has made him a sensation in the country, and in the continent as well. He has become a symbol of the fighting spirit of Africans, and has also made Mixed Martial Arts popular in Nigeria and Africa.
16. Several Fight of The Night Awards
Israel Adesanya has won several “Fight of The Night Awards.” That award only goes to exciting fights; those that are full of talking points. He has therefore picked up a reputation as an exciting fighter; one whose name attracts attention.
17. He Is A Model
Israel Adesanya is also a model; even though it is not something he actively pursued. His good looks, and his success in the ring have earned him the attention of brands who are looking to sell their goods. So far, he is an underwear model, and it looks very likely that he will continue to get more billboard attention.
18. He Is A Dancer
Not in a professional sense, but he is quite good. He has the moves, and is quite confident to show them off. Israel Adesanya has several dance videos in circulation. The videos show that if he was not so busy in the ring, he could have a good career as a dancer.
19. His Moves Come From Cartoons
It has already been mentioned that he loves Naruto, the animated series. After winning fights, he exists the ring, and arena with a characteristic walk that has been described like that of the lead character of the series, shortly before the film ends.
20. He Is An Advocate Of Mental Health
Especially in Africa, mental health is not given the necessary attention it deserves, and as a result people with mental health get to suffer a lot. Israel Adesanya has been very open about his personal struggles with mental health.
The struggles have been aggravated by the media sensationalism that comes with being a super star; everything he says or does gets to be criticized in the media. That creates a lot of tension, and stress, which can make someone say or do more controversial things.
21. He Is A Philanthropist
Israel Adesanya has not been self centered with the way he spends money; he dedicated a part of his earnings to charitable causes, especially those that concern children and their need for education.
22. He Loves Video Games
Israel Adesanya is an avid gamer; that means he plays a lot of video games. In fact he has played all the popular adventure games, and he can be a good ally or a formidable opponent. May be you have even played against him without knowing it.
23. Lives In Auckland
Israel Adesanya lives in a lavish mansion in Auckland, New Zealand. He loves the city, and identifies it as his home. He has lived there since he was 21 years old.
24. Nigerian-New Zealander
Israel Adesanya is a Nigerian born New Zealander. He travels with a New Zealand passport; and he is a New Zealand citizen. That technically makes him a Nigerian-New Zealand dual citizen.
25. Speaks Several Languages
Israel Adesanya speaks West African Pidgin, Yoruba Language, and English Language.
These are facts about Israel Adesanya which every fan should know. In fact they are facts that every fan of Mixed Martial Arts, especially those of African descent.
