Is Israel Adesanya the new Conor McGregor? How the Nigeria-born UFC champ went from bullied teenager to millionaire MMA fighter sponsored by Puma
- Dubbed ‘The Last Stylebender’ – which is also the basis of his Instagram handle – UFC president Dana White let him show off his dance moves at UFC 243
- He took up kick-boxing and MMA to defend himself when he was young, and now he’s going up against Jan Blachowicz after moving to the light heavyweight division
Israel Adesanya’s hype has been compared to that of Conor McGregor and, with his 20-0 winning streak, he is considered to be one of the best MMA (mixed martial arts) fighters in the world. Now the Nigerian-born fighter is moving to the light heavyweight division for a title fight against Jan Blachowicz in UFC 259 on March 6.
In pre-interviews with ESPN, Adesanya said he hasn’t done anything different in preparation for the fight, explaining his body knew what it had to do – just “flex”.
The reigning UFC middleweight champ has taken the MMA world by storm. From his dynamic style of fighting to his superb dance skills, “The Last Stylebender” has become a global star, so here’s what you need to know about the man who has captivated MMA fans around the world.
He was bullied
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Adesanya was 12 years old when his parents emigrated to New Zealand because they wanted their children to have a better education. In an interview with ESPN MMA, the fighter said he was “picked on” and was “cast away” at school because he was different. He said this was one of the most difficult parts of moving between countries.
He loves to bust a move