UFC 281: 5 times that Israel Adesanya styled on his opponent in the octagon
This weekend sees Israel Adesanya defend his UFC middleweight title against old kickboxing rival Alex Pereira in the headliner of UFC 281. Undoubtedly, ‘The Last Stylebender’ will be hoping for a big victory.
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In the four-and-a-half years since he arrived in the UFC, Israel Adesanya has not only claimed the middleweight title, but he’s also destroyed numerous high-level opponents, often with relative ease. From former champions to contenders on red-hot runs, ‘The Last Stylebender’ has dismantled foes like few others in UFC history.
Here are five times that Israel Adesanya styled on his opponents in the octagon.
#5. Israel Adesanya vs. Rob Wilkinson – UFC 221
It seems like Israel Adesanya has been around in the UFC for a lifetime now, but ‘The Last Stylebender’ only made his octagon debut in February 2018.
Faced with the unheralded Rob Wilkinson at UFC 221, Adesanya had a solid record of 11-0 and carried a big reputation from his days as a flashy kickboxer. Regardless, few fans expected the impact that he would instantly have.
Fans have probably forgotten that Wilkinson actually won the first round of the bout, as he was able to take Adesanya down on a couple of occasions. Although he couldn’t keep him there, he did stall him out in the clinch, negating his striking.
However, after one round in the octagon, ‘The Last Stylebender’ quickly proved how marvelously skilled a striker he really is.
The opening moments of the second round saw him sting ‘Razor Rob’ with a series of jabs. From there, Adesanya easily stuffed his takedown attempts and began to toy with him, landing strikes seemingly at will, from angles that he simply couldn’t read.
Eventually, Wilkinson wilted, stumbling back to the fence where he covered up under a barrage of strikes until the referee stepped in to call the fight off.
Stream every @Stylebender fight on @UFCFightPass before he returns at #UFC259 on March 7th!#OnThisDay in 2018: @Stylebender arrived in the UFC 😤
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When ‘The Last Stylebender’ took to the microphone after the bout and proclaimed himself the middleweight division’s new big dog, it was hard not to be wowed – but few probably realized quite what he would go onto accomplish.
#4. Israel Adesanya vs. Kelvin Gastelum – UFC 236
While Robert Whittaker definitely pushed him hard in their second bout earlier in 2022, it’s arguable that the fighter who really gave Israel Adesanya his trickiest test to date was Kelvin Gastelum.
The two fighters met with the interim middleweight crown on the line in mid-2019. After watching him dismantle his first five opponents, few fans believed that Gastelum had what it would take to stop ‘The Last Stylebender’.
However, those fans were left stunned when Gastelum took the fight to Adesanya like nobody had done before – and arguably, nobody has done since.
The first round saw Gastelum knock the famed kickboxer down with a left hand. While Adesanya came back to take the second and third rounds, it was clear that Gastelum’s gameplan of wading forward into the danger zone to land heavy punches was working effectively.
When Gastelum hurt Adesanya on more than one occasion in the fourth and took that round, it felt like the momentum was swinging in his favor. The fifth round, though, was a demonstration that not only did Adesanya have wild skills, he also had the heart of a champion.
Showing some of the best striking in UFC history, the New Zealand-based fighter utterly styled on Gastelum for the final five minutes, cutting him to shreds with combination after combination and scoring two knockdowns.
The only thing that kept Gastelum in the fight was his iron chin. Unsurprisingly, Adesanya was awarded the victory and the title.
One year ago today, Kelvin Gastelum and Israel Adesanya put on the 2019 Fight of the Year 👏 https://t.co/3QYaoMB22a
Sure, Adesanya has made beating other foes look easier than he did in this fight, but his fifth round display here remains one of the most impressive stanzas of his career.
#3. Israel Adesanya vs. Derek Brunson – UFC 230
After destroying Rob Wilkinson and edging out Marvin Vettori and Brad Tavares in his first three UFC bouts, it was clear that Israel Adesanya had plenty of talent. When he was matched with proven contender Derek Brunson at the end of 2018, though, it sounded like his toughest test to date.
Brunson was coming off a loss to Jacare Souza, but he also held wins over the likes of Uriah Hall, Lyoto Machida and Dan Kelly, and was about as proven as it could get in the middleweight division.
However, he also had a tendency to get too aggressive against fighters who wouldn’t meet him head on. This issue ended up being music to Adesanya’s ears.
In a scarily one-sided fight, ‘The Last Stylebender’ simply let Brunson come at him, playing the matador and easily dodging his strikes and takedown attempts before snapping his head back with a stiff jab.
After dodging a clinch, Adesanya then stunned Brunson with a knee before dropping him with a combination. From there, he simply styled on him – landing shot after shot to drop him on multiple occasions before putting him down for good with seconds remaining in the round.
ADESANYA!!
@Stylebender finishes Brunson in round 1! #UFC230 https://t.co/WGu676jNr6
The fight was a huge eye-opener, as while the stylistic match was always a good one for Adesanya, nobody had really expected him to take apart a legitimate contender so easily. It was proof, once and for all, that ‘The Last Stylebender’ was a genuine threat to the middleweight title.
#2. Israel Adesanya vs. Paulo Costa – UFC 253
It’s probably fair to say that Israel Adesanya’s first UFC middleweight title defense did not go to plan. Faced with the aging but dangerous contender Yoel Romero, fans expected a war. Instead, they were treated to a downright bizarre staring contest that Adesanya just about edged.
When he was matched with Paulo Costa in his second defense, then, the pressure was on for ‘The Last Stylebender’.
‘Borrachinha’ had plenty of hype behind him as he was unbeaten at 13-0, held a more convincing victory of his own over Romero, and looked like a monstrous, bullying striker who would be difficult for anyone to stop, even Adesanya.
Fans expected an epic clash that would be difficult to call. Instead, Adesanya put on one of his greatest-ever showings and styled on the Brazilian from the word go.
The first round saw Adesanya pop Costa with punches and kicks from distance, negating his opponent’s gameplan of closing the distance to land his big combinations. Even taunts from ‘Borrachinha’ couldn’t draw Adesanya into a brawl. When the round ended, it was clear who was in command.
Sure enough, the second round saw ‘The Last Stylebender’ continue with his matador-like gameplan, catching Costa with shots almost every time he came forward. As the round ticked away, he clocked the Brazilian with a three-punch combination that had him hurt.
Costa attempted to fire back, but Adesanya easily slipped the shot and then dropped the Brazilian with a left hand before sealing the deal with some ruthless shots on the canvas.
#UFC253WHAT A STATEMENT 🙌
Israel Adesanya ends the rivalry with Paulo Costa inside two rounds with a dominant display!
It was THAT easy 😳 #UFC253 https://t.co/jxdchos1zf
Considering that ‘Borrachinha’ had been unbeaten prior to the fight, it was a truly masterful showing from Adesanya, who styled on a hugely talented and dangerous opponent, and made it look easy, too.
#1. Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker – UFC 243
Israel Adesanya has now dominated the UFC middleweight division since late 2019, but it’s almost certain that if he did not exist, Robert Whittaker would probably have done the same.
‘The Reaper’ holds wins over practically every other top middleweight in the UFC, but has been beaten by Adesanya in two title fights, most notably losing his crown to ‘The Last Stylebender’ at UFC 243.
It’s that fight which stands as the greatest example of Adesanya styling on a massively talented opponent. He literally embarrassed Whittaker – one of the best fighters on the planet – and made him look like he didn’t belong in the same octagon.
A tremendous striker in his own right, Whittaker simply couldn’t come close to Adesanya in this meeting. ‘The Last Stylebender’ showed a marvellous sense of how to gauge the distance to land on the Aussie while also avoiding damage in return.
As the bout went on, Whittaker became ever more desperate to catch his foe – and that only left him more open to eating something nasty.
Sure enough, the end of the first round saw ‘The Reaper’ dropped with a right hand. While he managed to survive that, the second round went the same way until Adesanya caught the champ with a flush left hand.
The shot dropped Whittaker badly, and moments later, Adesanya followed up with more shots and the fight was over.
Naija stand up! HE'S DONE IT!
@Stylebender finishes Whittaker in the 2nd round! Wow! #UFC243 https://t.co/IS1f8lL8Lt
To date, Adesanya remains the only fighter to ever beat Whittaker at 185lbs, and he’s certainly the only fighter to style on him like this. Three years later, it remains his signature victory.