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Reigning UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is known for his theatrical WWE-style entrances and his love of geek culture. 'The Last Style Bender' showcased a little bit of both as he walked out resembling Mortal Combat character Raiden for his main event title fight with Marvin Vettori at UFC 263.
Israel Adesanya donned a Conical Asian hat – a piece of headgear that is synonymous with the iconic Mortal Kombat protagonist. The champ also wore a Japanese oni mask as he made his way into the octagon.
Raiden is an immortal God of Thunder and one of the most significant characters in the Mortal Kombat series. For comparison, depicted above is the popular video game character.
Who won the fight between Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori?
Israel Adesanya retained his status as the undisputed king of the UFC middleweight division. The fighter from Auckland, New Zealand, put on a clinic as he dominated Marvin Vettori for five rounds.
The champion took the fight to Vettori from the opening moments, targeting the challenger's legs with a series of low kicks. Throughout the fight, Israel Adesanya successfully maintained his distance and picked Marvin Vettori apart with surgically precise strikes.
'The Italian Dream' found some semblance of success as he was able to take Israel Adesanya down multiple times. At one point, he even came close to stealing the victory when he tried to lock in a rear-naked choke. But the champion proved too elusive as he successfully slipped out of the submission attempt.
With the win, Israel Adesanya is now 2-0 against Marvin Vettori. The first time they met was two years ago, in a bout that ended in a narrow split decision win in favor of 'The Last Style Bender'.
What did Israel Adesanya say to Marvin Vettori after the fight?
Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori had a brief exchange after they had gone the distance. During the post-fight interview, the champ told Joe Rogan what he told his challenger.
"I was just saying, 'At the end of the day, I don't like you, you don't like me but this is martial arts show some respect.'"
With his third successful title defense, Israel Adesanya is back in the win column after his first career defeat against UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259.
