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#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.
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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.
