bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

quizIds

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

paywallTypes

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Lynn Farah

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. 
School of hard knocks: the rise of MMA champion Conor McGregor

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”.
Yachts, jewels and homes: what MMA’s Conor McGregor spends his millions on
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


If he wasn’t an MMA fighter, he would be a dancer. Adesanya is notorious for entering the ring and showing off his dance moves. In the ESPN interview, he said it was during a school talent competition that he showed off his dance skills for the first time, earning him the respect of his peers. 
Donnie Yen: the 21st century kung fu hero’s 7 best films
He got into MMA as a teenager

Despite his dancing making him more popular, he was still bullied. At 18, he decided to take matters into his own hands and took up kick-boxing and MMA. Even though he knew nothing about fighting, he quickly became dominant in the ring and in 2017 he signed with the UFC.
His big UFC moment

Despite his stellar record, the UFC denied him the chance to do a choreographed dance entrance. But at UFC 243, with Adesanya defending a 18-0 record, UFC boss Dana White let him have the chance to merge his two worlds – dancing and fighting. The moment has been etched into UFC history and cemented Adesanya’s name with fans. 
Bruce Lee invented mixed martial arts, says UFC’s Dana White
A historic Puma deal pumped up his net worth


 











 View this post on Instagram























A post shared by Israel Adesanya (@stylebender)



Adesanya made history when he became the first ever MMA fighter to be sponsored by Puma. The multi-year apparel and shoe deal will see his face used in global marketing campaigns. Although the value of the deal is not known, ESPN suggests it is unlikely to be less than seven figures.


 











 View this post on Instagram























A post shared by Israel Adesanya (@stylebender)



The deal has led his net worth to increase drastically, with it now being estimated to be around US$2 million, according to sporting pundits like Sportekz and One37pm.
Want more stories like this? Sign up here. Follow STYLE on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter. 


UFC 276: Israel Adesanya explains WWE-inspired Undertaker ring entrance in front of Vince McMahon, Triple H

UFC 276: Israel Adesanya, Alexander Volkanovski agree ‘the vibe is unmatched’ ahead of title defences

ONE Championship: Reinier De Ridder says he would ‘squeeze Israel Adesanya’s head off’ – and thinks Gegard Mousasi would beat UFC champ in a kick-boxing match

UFC 271: Israel Adesanya defends his decision victory over Robert Whittaker – ‘he did not win that fight and he knows it’

Israel Adesanya

Is Israel Adesanya the new Conor McGregor? How the Nigeria-born UFC champ went from bullied teenager to millionaire MMA fighter sponsored by Puma

Israel Adesanya. Photo: @stylebender/Instagram

Israel Adesanya at a press conference for UFC 248 on February 7, 2020 in Houston, Texas, USA. Photo: Getty Images/AFP

Israel Adesanya of Nigeria celebrates after defeating Yoel Romero of Cuba in their UFC middleweight championship fight during the UFC 248 event on March 7, 2020 in Las Vegas. Photo: Zuffa LLC

From teen dropout to beating Conor McGregor at UFC 257 in Abu Dhabi: meet MMA hottie Dustin Poirier

Dustin Poirier learned to control his anger as a young adult and channel it into UFC. Photo: @dustinpoirier/Instagram

Dustin Poirier (R) punches Conor McGregor (L) in the lightweight fight during UFC 257 on January 23, 2021 in Abu Dhabi. Photo: Zuffa LLC

Conor McGregor’s million dollar watch: in Abu Dhabi for UFC 257, the MMA millionaire flashed two Jacob & Co. watches and a blinging Bentley

Conor McGregor and his new million dollar watch in Abu Dhabi. Photos: @thenotoriousmma/Instagram

Conor McGregor watch shopping. Photo: @thenotoriousmma/Instagram

Conor McGregor. Photo: @thenotoriousmma/Instagram

The Rasputin Tourbillon

Which celebrity couples are expecting babies in 2021? Crazy Rich Asians’ Henry Golding and wife Liv Lo, MMA stars Angela Lee and Bruno Pucci, and more share pregnancy news on Instagram

Mandy Moore, Angela Lee and Hilary Duff show off their baby bumps. Photos @mandymooremm; @ angelaleemma; @hilaryduff / Instagram

=== PHOTO CAPTURED ONLINE=== Hilary Duff with her husband on Instagram Photo: Instagram [FEATURES 2020]

===PHOTO CAPTURED ONLINE=== Bruno Pucci and Angela Lee celebrate after announcing their pregnancy.

Actor Henry Golding (R) and his wife Liv Lo (L) arrive at the film premiere of "Crazy Rich Asians" at the Capitol Theatre in Singapore on August 21, 2018. (Photo by Roslan RAHMAN / AFP)

In this photo released on Saturday, Oct. 13 2018 by Buckingham Palace, Britain's Princess Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank are photographed in the White Drawing Room, Windsor Castle with from left, back row, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Theodora Williams, Isla Phillips, Louis De Givenchy. Front row, Mia Tindall Savannah Phillips and Maud Windsor, following their Wedding, at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. (Alex Bramall/Buckingham Palace via AP)

Hong Kong action hero JuJu Chan on working with Nicolas Cage and Tony Jaa in sci-fi martial arts movie Jiu Jitsu – interview

JuJu Chan, dubbed the “female Bruce Lee”, has already worked with Hong Kong cinema legends like Michelle Yeoh, Donnie Yen and Yuen Woo-ping. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

Actress JuJu Chan Yuk-wan, whose latest movie, Jiu Jitsu, sees her star alongside Nicholas Cage. Photo: SCMP / K. Y. Cheng

JuJu Chan, dubbed the “female Bruce Lee”, has already worked with Hong Kong cinema legends like Michelle Yeoh, Donnie Yen and Yuen Woo-ping. Photo: SCMP / K.Y. Cheng

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje in UFC 254: why the Russian champion might be the nicest man in MMA – but has no patience for Conor McGregor

Khabib Nurmagomedov is considered one of the nicest fighters in the UFC by his peers and fans. Photo: @khabib_nurmagomedov/Instagram

Magazines

Style

Celebrities

News & Trends


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



Nigeria-born Israel Adesanya grew up in New Zealand where bullying led to him taking up MMA – a sport that has made him a millionaire who’s hyped up like Conor McGregor


Application error: a client-side exception has occurred (see the browser console for more information).