How long has UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya been fighting?
Currently 31, UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has been fighting professionally since 2010. 'The Last Stylebender' initially made his debut as a professional kickboxer in 2010 before making his MMA debut a couple of years later, in 2012. Until recently, Adesanya was undefeated in MMA. However, he fell to UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz in pursuit of a second belt.
During his kickboxing days, Israel Adesanya amassed an incredible 75-5 record and beat some of the biggest names in the Oceania and Chinese kickboxing circuits. Adesanya later made his MMA debut in 2012 against James Griffiths and instantly shot to fame with an incredible first-round TKO victory.
After fighting and winning his second straight MMA bout, Adesanya took a two-year hiatus from the sport. He returned in 2015 and amassed an 8-0 run, during which he won the AFC Middleweight Championship with a first-round TKO win.
Israel Adesanya has a near-perfect record in the UFC
Israel Adesanya signed a contract with the UFC in 2017 and debuted a year later at UFC 221 against Rob Wilkinson. Adesanya put up a striking masterclass to claim a second-round TKO victory in his first fight in the promotion. 'The Last Stylebender' then won five more fights before eventually getting a title shot at UFC 243 on October 6, 2019.
Israel Adesanya made quick work of then-champion Robert Whittaker to become the new and undisputed king of the UFC middleweight division. Since winning the title, Izzy has defended it twice against Yoel Romero and Paulo Costa, respectively. In his last fight, Adesanya moved up to the light heavyweight division to challenge champion Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259.
However, the decision proved costly for Adesanya as he lost his undefeated status. 'The Last Stylebender' fell to Blachowicz by unanimous decision. Israel Adesanya now returns to the middleweight division to defend his title against a man he's already beaten before, Marvin Vettori. Adesanya and Vettori will run it back in the main event of UFC 263.