UFC 243: A look at Israel Adesanya's rise to the top

#4 Defeating a legend – UFC 234

The torch was passed in February as Adesanya defeated the legendary Anderson Silva

After dissecting Derek Brunson at UFC 230, Israel Adesanya expected a big fight for his next Octagon appearance and the UFC obliged, matching him with legendary former Middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

Sure, Silva was clearly past his prime – a contentious decision over Brunson was his only official victory since 2012 – but his name value remained high and this was Adesanya’s chance to see his stock rise dramatically.

The two men weren’t expected to main event UFC 234 – which took place in Melbourne, Victoria – but ended up in the slot after Middleweight champ Robert Whittaker was sidelined with an injury. And while the fight didn’t go quite as easily as many fans figured it would for Adesanya, it was still fascinating to watch.

The two strikers went toe-to-toe for fifteen minutes, dancing around the Octagon and creating a fight that looked more like it belonged in a movie than in the UFC – but only in a good way. And while Adesanya arguably gave Silva a little too much respect, it was clear by the end of the fight that the Stylebender had landed the better strikes throughout the fight and definitely deserved the nod from the judges.

Silva had been beaten before of course, but this win felt important for Adesanya in a different way; essentially, it was the passing of the torch at Middleweight, from the original flashy, surgical striker to the man bringing that style into the next generation. Adesanya already had a better win – but this one made him into a superstar.