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Israel Adesanya has blossomed into one of the most entertaining, talented and polarizing fighters on the UFC roster since making his promotional debut in 2018.
'The Last Stylebender' accrued a professional kickboxing record of 75-5, winning multiple titles at promotions like Glory and King in the Ring. He made his MMA debut in 2012 and improved his record to 11-0 before signing with the UFC.
Since joining the world's premier MMA organization just under four years ago, Adesanya has become the UFC middleweight champion and subsequently defended his belt four times.
At just 32, he still has a long way to go in his career. Based on his current trajectory, the Nigerian could finish his career as one of the most dominant champions in UFC history.
That said, here are Adesanya's five best performances in the UFC.
#5. Israel Adesanya vs. Anderson Silva – UFC 234
UFC 234 was originally scheduled to be headlined by a middleweight championship bout between Robert Whittaker and Kelvin Gastelum. Unfortunately, Whittaker was forced to withdraw from the event after being hospitalized the night before.
The co-main event, which pitted rising star Israel Adesanya against UFC legend Anderson Silva, was subsequently bumped up to the main event. The two striking specialists put on a memorable fight that left fans in attendance at the Rod Laver Arena in awe.
The fight was a treat to watch from start to finish as both fighters found themselves in a high-octane chess match. Adesanya came away with a unanimous decision victory on the night. Their bout won the 'Fight of the Night' honor as well.
Their showdown represented a lot more than a three-round middleweight clash. Upon joining the UFC in 2006, Silva went on an unprecedented 15-fight winning streak, comprising 14 finishes. His incredible run between 2006 and 2012 saw 'The Spider' cement his legacy as one of the greatest fighters of all time.
He came into his bout with Adesanya at the age of 43 and was clearly in the final stretch of his MMA career. Their embrace after the bout felt like a 'passing of the torch' moment.
Watch the highlights of the Israel Adesanya vs. Anderson Silva fight below:
#4. Israel Adesanya vs. Derek Brunson – UFC 230
At UFC 230, Israel Adesanya locked horns with UFC veteran Derek Brunson. Every opponent that Adesanya faced so far had to resort to their wrestling in order to stifle the striking threat posed by 'The Last Stylebender'.
Rob Wilkinson, Marvin Vettori and Brad Tavares managed to get the Nigerian down to the mat in their bouts but struggled to keep him there. Brunson is arguably the best wrestler in the middleweight division and many believed this matchup would be a true litmus test of Adesanya's overall game.
He passed the test with flying colors, stuffing every takedown attempt from Brunson en route to a sensational first-round TKO victory.
Adesanya's performance saw the emergence of a new contender at 185 lbs. With such a promising showing against one of the best wrestlers in the division, the public perception of 'The Last Stylebender' changed drastically following UFC 230.
His ever-improving takedown defense, coupled with his elite striking and unbreakable confidence in his ability, led many to believe that he was destined to become a champion. In his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, he said:
"They say I have no wrestling, they say [I have] no jiu-jitsu... You'll soon find out."
Watch Israel Adesanya's post-fight interview with Joe Rogan below:
#3. Israel Adesanya vs. Kelvin Gastelum – UFC 236
The UFC 236 interim middleweight championship fight between Israel Adesanya and Kelvin Gastelum remains one of the best fights in UFC history. Their five-round war at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, was undoubtedly the best fight of 2019.
Adesanya and Gastelum squared off in the co-main event of UFC 236 with interim middleweight gold on the line. The victor would earn a shot at undisputed gold against the reigning champion, Robert Whittaker.
The first three rounds between the middleweight duo were closely contested. Both fighters managed to secure a knockdown with Gastelum dropping Adesanya in the first before 'The Last Stylebender' returned the favor in the second.
After they acclimated to each other's power and range, the next two rounds produced absolute fireworks.
Adesanya was seemingly in control in the fourth round until a sneaky headkick from Gastelum left the Kiwi stunned, causing the crowd to erupt. However, 'The Last Stylebender' showed the heart of a champion in the final round, dominating his Mexican counterpart throughout the final five minutes.
The Nigerian came away with a unanimous decision victory to become the new UFC interim middleweight champion. His performance at UFC 236 showed that he has the heart and mind of a champion, having gone through adversity multiple times during the fight with Gastelum.
Watch Israel Adesanya's post-fight interview with Joe Rogan below:
Robert Whittaker, the reigning champion, commended Adesanya in the aftermath. Whittaker and Adesanya locked horns six months later with undisputed gold on the line.
#2. Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker 1 – UFC 243
Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker squared off in the main event of UFC 243 in October 2019. Whittaker was coming off back-to-back decision victories over Yoel Romero while Adesanya won the interim belt following a five-round war with Kelvin Gastelum.
UFC 243 holds the UFC record for highest attendance to this day. The event, which took place at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, had an attendance of 57,127. A stadium mostly filled with Aussies who came to watch Whittaker, the Australian champion, defend his belt. The then-champion clearly felt the pressure of the situation.
Adesanya knocked Whittaker down in the dying seconds of the first round after 'The Reaper' got off to an uncharacteristically aggressive start to the fight. 'The Last Stylebender' stunned the crowd in attendance and fans around the world with a sensational second-round KO victory to become the new undisputed champion at 185 lbs.
Israel Adesanya's KO triumph over Robert Whittaker marked the dawn of a new era in the UFC middleweight division. The middleweight strap had changed hands numerous times before UFC 243, with the likes of Luke Rockhold, Michael Bisping, Georges St-Pierre and Robert Whittaker all holding the belt at some point over a four-year period.
Watch highlights from the fight below:
Following his win, Adesanya vowed to remain active as the 185 lbs king. He called out top contender Paulo Costa in his post-fight interview with Jon Anik.
Watch Israel Adesanya's post-fight interview with Jon Anik below:
#1. Israel Adesanya vs. Paulo Costa – UFC 253
Israel Adesanya's best performance in the UFC came in his second title defense. The Kiwi took on Paulo Costa in the main event of UFC 253 on Fight Island, Abu Dhabi.
Going into the bout, UFC president Dana White claimed on numerous occasions that the fight would be a 'Fight of the Year' contender. Both Adesanya and Costa were undefeated stand-up fighters going into the bout and there was a ton of bad blood between them as well. The matchup had all the makings of an instant classic.
However, Adesanya seemingly didn't get the memo and absolutely demolished Costa in under two rounds. 'The Last Stylebender' picked apart the powerful Brazilian with surgical precision en route to a comfortable TKO victory. 'Borrachinha' barely landed a strike on his Kiwi counterpart.
Adesanya's flawless performance led many to say that he would remain the middleweight champion for many years to come.
His reputation as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world skyrocketed, so much so that he earned a direct shot at the light heavyweight title soon after the victory over Costa.
Israel Adesanya advanced his professional MMA record to 20-0 with his victory at UFC 253. Interestingly, it was the 100th victory of his professional combat sports career, having secured wins in kickboxing and boxing prior to joining the UFC.
He remains one of the most decorated combat sports athletes on the planet to this day.
