Israel Adesanya is a Nigerian-born New Zealand professional mixed martial artist, kickboxer, and former boxer who is known for his skills in all three disciplines. As of November 2022, he is ranked #1 in the UFC middleweight rankings, and as of March 2023, he is ranked #5 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings. Adesanya is widely regarded as one of the best strikers in mixed martial arts, both offensively and defensively. He has multiple championships in kickboxing and mixed martial arts, including being a former UFC Middleweight Champion.

Adesanya’s journey into mixed martial arts began when he was 18 years old and saw the Muay Thai film Ong-Bak, which inspired him to start training in kickboxing. He amassed an amateur record of 32-0 before turning professional and fighting in China. At the age of 21, Adesanya moved to Auckland, New Zealand, and began training in mixed martial arts under Eugene Bareman at City Kickboxing, where he trained with future UFC fighters Dan Hooker, Kai Kara-France, and Alexander Volkanovski. He also trains in wrestling under the Romanian New Zealander Andrei Păuleț. Since joining the UFC in 2018, Adesanya has had a hugely successful career, winning his first 20 professional fights and becoming the UFC Middleweight Champion. He is known for his impressive striking ability, with his accuracy, speed, and technique being praised by experts in the sport.

In addition to his fighting career, Adesanya is also an ambassador for mental health and has been open about his own struggles with anxiety and depression. He encourages others to seek help and has used his platform to raise awareness about mental health issues. Perhaps one of the most easily recognisable and talented fighters in the UFC, Adesanya is renowned for his astounding showmanship and boasts over 7 million fans on his Instagram profile.