[88], Adesanya faced Alex Pereira, who had two victories against him in kickboxing, on 12 November 2022 at UFC 281. "[102], On 25 March 2021, New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Sport, Grant Robertson, spoke out against Adesanya's "flippant comments" on his Instagram "Bro, I will fuckin' rape you" aimed at fellow UFC middleweight fighter, Kevin Holland. In May 2010, Adesanya won the first fight of his seven-fight winning streak, defeating Tim Atonio by unanimous decision. [11], Adesanya was born in Lagos, Nigeria, the eldest of five children. The flags listed in these tables are in accordance with the UFC's official telecasts and may not fully or accurately represent the full citizenship of the peoples listed. Starting with the most . Knockdown Avg. (April 9, 2023) - Medical issue - Out of, (March 31, 2023) Undisclosed weight issue - Out of, 2 year suspension by USADA for testing positive for, (April 9, 2023) - Sherman medical issue - bout cancelled, (April 28, 2023) - Undisclosed injury - Out of, (March 27, 2023) Jingliang Injury - Out of, (March 29, 2023) Matthews Injury - Out of, (February 2, 2023) - Neck injury - Out of, (April 26, 2023) Undisclosed reason - Out of, (February 10, 2023) - Undisclosed reasons - Out of, (April 14, 2023) Moicano injured - out of, (February 15, 2023) - Undisclosed reasons - Out of, (January 6, 2023) - Undisclosed reasons - Out of, (January 15, 2023) - Undisclosed reasons - Out of, (April 18, 2023) - Moicano's injured - bout cancelled -, (February 3, 2023) - Ankle injury - out of, (March 24, 2023) - Medical Issues - Out of, (March 15, 2023) Undisclosed reason - Out of, (February 9, 2023) - Eye injury - Bout cancelled, (March 10, 2023) - Ramos missed weight - Bout cancelled - Out of, (February 27, 2023) - Undisclosed reasons - Out of, (February 24, 2023) Medical issue on Johnson's end - Bout cancelled -, (April 27, 2023) - Undisclosed reasons - Out of, (January 31, 2023) - Knee injury - Out of, (April 27, 2023) - Not medical clear - out of, (March 25, 2023) - Perez Pulls Out - Out of, (April 29, 2023) - Undisclosed reasons - Out of, (April 21, 2023) Cachoiera Weight Miss - Out of, (March 23, 2023) - Medical Issues - Bout cancelled -, (April 21, 2023) - Priscila Weight Miss - Out of, (March 17, 2023) - Undisclosed Reasons - Out of. Adesanya won the tournament final by unanimous decision. What does it mean for you to fight in the UFC? Pereira won the fight by knockout, after dropping Adesanya with a short left hook in the third round. [13] Adesanya attended Chrisland School, Opebi, and enrolled in its Taekwondo after-school club until he was removed by his mother due to an injury. Learn more about Israel Adesanya's UFC history, fighter facts, and Q&A below. MMA Junkie : UFC Fight Night 223 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Marcos Rogerio de Lima tops card with $16k MMA Junkie : Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of UFC Fight Night 223 with Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Tupac and Dolly Parton [70][71], In his next title defense, Adesanya faced fellow undefeated fighter Paulo Costa on 27 September 2020 at UFC 253. Adesanya (21-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) feels his gym City . Due to fight on the UFC on Fox card in mid-December last year, Rose-Clark was forced to withdraw from her bout with Andrea Lee after she was deemed "medically unfit" to enter the Octagon. The tables are sortable and the calculation for Endeavor and MMA records are formulated as follows: Plus one point of the total wins for fighters having not lost a fight: 500 = 6, Negative points of total losses for fighters having not won a fight: 030 = -3, Add number of wins to the winning percentage: 1010 = 10.90 | 10 + (10/11), A draw counts as 0.5: 841 = 8.65 | 8 + (8.5/13), No contest does not factor as one of the variables of the calculation: 820 (1 NC) = 8.80 | 8 + (8/10), This page was last edited on 1 May 2023, at 05:39. (0:58). [112] Adesanya has the image of one of the show's main characters, Toph Beifong, tattooed on his forearm. [61] He won the back-and-forth fight via unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 48-46. [113], In September 2020, he became the first mixed martial arts athlete to sign a sponsorship deal with Puma. 10. Originally from Nigeria, Adesanya and his family immigrated to New Zealand; a move "The Last Stylebender" has embraced by labelling himself as a "Black Kiwi". Felicia Spencer at UFC 250 on June 6, 2020 [74] This win earned him his fifth Performance of the Night award. Each fight record has four categories: wins, losses, Rankings are based on information obtained from the UFC's website and updated when information has been obtained from the UFC's website (. [38] He fought Jason Wilnis for the Glory Middleweight championship at Glory 37: Los Angeles. Adesanya knocked his opponent out in the second round. T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 280 on Oct 22, 2022, 1. def. Sunday's showdown with American Kelvin Gastelum will be his second title defence, and first on home soil. [citation needed] Unbeaten in eight UFC bouts as a middleweight, Whittaker became interim champion when UFC legend Georges St Pierre vacated the middleweight belt midway through 2017. UFC 271 was not only a showcase for Adesanya, but several of his teammates from the City Kickboxing gym in New Zealand, including Mike Mathetha (also known as Blood Diamond) and Carlos. [53] This win earned him his second Performance of the Night award. ", "UFC 243 Results: Israel Adesanya Knocks Out Robert Whittaker to Claim Throne", "UFC 243 bonuses: Israel Adesanya rewarded for championship-winning knockout", "Israel Adesanya defends middleweight title against Yoel Romero at UFC 248", "Dana White admits he regrets making Adesanya Vs Romero after snoozefest", "UFC 248 results: Israel Adesanya keeps title in bizarre win over Yoel Romero", "UFC 248: Dana White calls out 'terrible' fighter for unimpressive main event", "Sources: UFC sets Adesanya-Costa for Sept. 19", "Adesanya still champ with dominant TKO of Costa", "UFC 253 updates: Adesanya defeats Costa", "UFC 253 bonuses: Israel Adesanya, Jan Blachowicz cash in with championship performances", "Morning Report: Israel Adesanya gives update on his swollen pectoral muscle, theorizes marijuana was the cause", "Pec-Gate solved? UFC Auckland takes place on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020, live from the Spark Aena in UFC Auckland, New Zealand. @10NewsFirstAdl @JonnyBones @arielhelwani . He returned to MMA in August 2015, when he won the fight against Song Kenan by TKO. Source: nzherald.co.nz After NZ's biggest UFC fighter, Mark Hunt, opened the door, a succession of new, top quality MMA fighters has followed in his footsteps. In Title Rematch", "UFC 287: Israel Adesanya Gets Revenge, Knocks Out Alex Pereira", "UFC 287 bonuses: Rob Font leads $50K winners with stunning knockout", "Doberman Daniel Ammann prepares for Super 8 Last Man Standing", "Israel Adesanya into Super8 bout on wildcard", "Boxing: Fighters talk up their chances ahead of tournament", "UFC champ Israel Adesanya slammed for 'disgusting' 9/11 remark", "UFC champ Israel Adesanya apologizes for 9/11 comment: 'I'll be more careful', "Israel Adesanya apologizes after New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister calls out 'rape' insult", "UFC: Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson speaks out on Israel Adesanya's 'rape' comment", "UFC's Israel Adesanya Apologizes for Saying He'll Rape Kevin Holland", "Israel Adesanya arrested at airport for possession of metal knuckles; manager says matter dismissed", "UFC star Israel Adesanya arrested days after losing title to Alex Pereria", "From Dancer to Fighter: How Israel Adesanya Battled His Way to UIsrael AdesanyaFC 243", "Israel Adesanya talks elaborate UFC 243 entrance: 'If I could sing, trust me, Justin Bieber wouldn't even have a job', "Israel Adesanya explains how dancing helped him become a fighter", "How Anime Fuelled Israel Adesanya's Ambition, Ability And Style In The UFC", "UFC Fighter Israel Adesanya Breaks Down His Tattoos | GQ Sports", "Puma Signs Israel Adesanya to Historic Sponsorship Deal", "UFC: Israel Adesanya lends support to cannabis legalisation in New Zealand", "Israel Adesanya calls on Jacinda Ardern to toughen 'coward punch' laws", "UFC 263: Israel Adesanya issues challenge to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern over coward punch laws", "Super 8: Betham wins NZ cruiserweight boxing title to follow in father's footsteps", "COMBAT PRESS 2017 KICKBOXING AWARDS: FIGHT OF THE YEAR ALEX PEREIRA VS. ISRAEL ADESANYA", "UFC 236 post-event facts: Israel Adesanya sets title-fight record for most knockdowns", "MMAjunkie's 2018 'Newcomer of the Year': The human highlight reel who promised and delivered", "MMA Junkie's 'Fight of the Month' for April: Which UFC 236 title fight got the nod? The Victorian made his UFC debut in Adelaide last December, announcing himself on the big stage with a third-round kimura submission of Paul Craig. The biggest prize went to Israel Adesanya", "UFC 281 set with Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira headliner at Madison Square Garden", "UFC 281: Alex Pereira Mounts Late Comeback, Stops Israel Adesanya in Fifth", "Official - Alex Pereira Vs. Israel Adesanya II Set To Headline UFC 287 On April 8. [44] He went on to amass an 80 record, fighting mostly in Oceanian and Chinese circuits. ", "MMA Junkie's 2019 'Fight of the Year': Israel Adesanya vs. Kelvin Gastelum", "MMA Junkie's 2019 'Male Fighter of the Year': Israel Adesanya continues mind-blowing run", "MMA Fighting's 2018 Breakthrough Fighter of the Year: Israel Adesanya", "MMA Fighting's 2019 Fight of the Year: Israel Adesanya vs. Kelvin Gastelum", "MMA Fighting's 2019 Fighter of the Year: Israel Adesanya", "Adesanya is the 2018 Combat Press Breakout Fighter of the Year", "Adesanya is the 2019 Combat Press Fighter of the Year", "Adesanya-Gastelum is the 2019 Combat Press Fight of the Year", "MMA 2019 Year in Review: Fighter of the Year", "MMA 2019 Year in Review: Fight of the Year", "MMA DNA UFC Awards 2018: De Uitslagen!!! [69] Many fans and pundits felt disappointed due to the low activity by both fighters which resulted in a largely uneventful fight in which neither fighter was able to deliver any significant offense. He hasn't looked back since. The rankings for the UFC's fighters are both recorded and updated when information has been obtained from the UFC's website. This one pisses me off.". During this run, he won the AFC Middleweight Championship at Australia Fighting Championship 20 with a first-round TKO over Melvin Guillard,[45] as well as the Hex Fight Series Middleweight championship with a first-round KO of Stuart Dare. When and why did you start training for fighting? In attempting to make the 125-pound weight, Rose-Clark's body gave in and she has since announced a move back to bantamweight (135lbs). (Note: These rankings take into account the overall skill level and well-roundedness of each champion, plus the . Jim York has been around the block. But a unanimous decision victory over American Elias Garcia was just the latest of his forays into MMA, with the Aucklander having pursued his dream for the best part of a decade throughout Asia-Pacific in various cage-fighting tournaments. Six months later, he took part in the 2015 Cruiserweights III tournament. Dan "The Hangman" Hooker (22-12-0) is a Pro MMA Fighter out of Auckland, New Zealand and the #14th ranked Top Lightweight MMA fighter. [68] He won the fight via unanimous decision, with scores of 4847, 4847 and 4946 and defended his title for the first time. 2. def. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Verlinden won the fight by unanimous decision. [42][43], Adesanya made his professional debut in 2012, with a TKO win against James Griffiths. Metering and billing coordinator for a gas line company (hated it). [48] This win earned him the Performance of the Night bonus. He scored technical knockouts of Kim Loudon and Mark Timms in the quarterfinal and semifinal bouts respectively, before winning the tournament for the second time with a first-round knockout of Pati Afoa. [check quotation syntax][check quotation syntax] [73] He won the fight via technical knockout in the second round. But there's more . MORE: Buy UFC 257 on Kayo here! Megan Anderson at UFC 259 on Mar 6, 2021. [33], Moving up in weight, Adesanya participated in the 2015 The Heavyweights III, as well. A Kiwi fighting in the most high profile UFC division of them all - lightweight - Hooker was on four-fight win streak before he ran into Brazilian star Edson Barboza at UFC on Fox 31. As of May 16, 2019, a total of 76 UFC fighters have been sanctioned by USADA since the UFC USADA testing program started.[23]. The champions and interim champions are placed in the top positions of their respective weight classes and only the champions are eligible to be voted for in the pound-for-pound rankings. New Zealand: 13-6-0: . All asterisked fighters are listed by a combination of their UFC, Strikeforce and WEC records. Defense is the percentage of significant strikes attempted against a fighter that do not land. [80] He lost the fight via unanimous decision, with scores of 4946, 4945 and 4945, marking the first time he has been defeated in mixed martial arts. 3. def. He is set to have surgery and then begin his road back to the Octagon. Note: Fight records calculation: (1) Plus one point of the total wins for fighters have not loss a fight; (2) Negative points of total loses for fighters have not won a fight; (3) Add number of wins to the winning percentage; (4) A draw counts as 0.5 (5) No contest does not factor as one of the variables of the calculation. But his first title defence was derailed by injury, and it wasn't until he defeated Yoel Romero for a second time, in Chicago, that he held the belt in triumph inside the Octagon. Unbeaten in his last 16 fights, the last six of which have come in the UFC, Volkanovski is a complete MMA athlete who can get it done on his feet or on the ground. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. He won his first three fights in the UFC, too, proving he was ready to "stand and bang" with the big boys of the Octagon. His winning streak earned him a place in the 2014 Kunlun Fight 80kg tournament, held during Kunlun Fight 2. [100], In February 2020, Adesanya came under fire for comments made at the UFC 248 pre-fight press conference, where he said he would make opponent Yoel Romero "crumble like the Twin Towers", referencing the September 11 attacks. [9][10] As a mixed martial artist, he currently competes in the Middleweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the current and two-time UFC Middleweight Champion. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. 2838 Athletes Asjabharan _ Bantamweight 0-0-0 (W-L-D) Asjabharan _ Athlete Profile Yibugele - Featherweight 0-0-0 (W-L-D) Yibugele - Athlete Profile Angga - Featherweight 0-1-0 (W-L-D) Angga -. After back-to-back victories in her first two UFC bouts, Rose-Clark then suffered a unanimous decision loss to top-ranked flyweight contender, Jessica Eye, but is set for a strong return in the heavier division. And with three fighters booked to feature on the stacked UFC 259 event, headlined by Israel Adesanya, New Zealand has quickly become the envy of the mixed martial arts world. Did you go to college and if so what degree did you earn? The flags listed in these tables are in accordance with the Sherdog's website and may not fully or accurately represent the full citizenship of the peoples listed. 1. def. This list provides an up-to-date roster of all fighters currently competing under the UFC promotional banner. He won his next six fights, fighting almost exclusively with Wu Lin Feng in China. The 28-year-old Queenslander returned to the Octagon with a TKO featherweight victory over Cat Zingano, and has since called out Cris Cyborg for a bout in the 145-pound division. 4. def. Here's our new list of the current UFC champions ranked from most to least beatable. [109][110], Adesanya is a fan of anime and has stated he would like to start an anime production company after retiring from fighting. Favorite grappling technique: I like choking people and whispering sweet nothings in their ear as they fall asleep. [56] This win earned him the Performance of the Night award for a third time. [75] After the bout, Adesanya's visible right-breast gynecomastia drummed up controversy due to possible PEDs use, though Adesanya claimed it was due to his usage of marijuana. [52] Adesanya won the one-sided fight via unanimous decision. [86] He won the bout via unanimous decision. [34], Adesanya won five of his next six fights, including victories over Yousri Belgaroui[35] and Bogdan Stoica. [46], In December 2017, it was announced that Adesanya had signed a contract with the UFC. The UFC Featherweight Champion is currently on a 20-fight win streak and has utterly dominated the 145-pound division since he arrived in the UFC. [114], Adesanya endorsed a "yes" vote in the 2020 New Zealand cannabis referendum. Which Bellator, Invicta, One and PFL champs could dethrone UFC titleholders? Chael Sonnen breaks down what he likes from Israel Adesanya's game that makes him a fighter to watch in 2019. That fight ended in a third-round loss on a stacked card for UFC 225 in Chicago, Anderson suffering a unanimous decision defeat by the first woman to take down Ronda Rousey. Sig. A fighter can be ranked in multiple divisions at the same time in divisions they have competed. The list excluded fighters who have not fought for more than two years and are not subjected to suspension. [22], Following high school graduation, Adesanya enrolled in a Bachelor of Science in Computer Design at the Universal College of Learning in Whanganui. Career Record : 10 Wins, 4 Losses. [111] His nickname "The Last Stylebender" is a reference to Avatar: The Last Airbender, an anime-influenced cartoon series. [20] Adesanya was bullied during his high school years[21] and attributes the mistreatment he experienced to his decision to pursue martial arts later in life. Manage Settings document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. [15] Two years later Adesanya made the decision to cease his studies in pursuit of a career in kickboxing and went on to amass an amateur record of 320 before turning professional and fighting in China. Nigerian and New Zealand mixed martial artist (born 1989). [99], Adesanya fought in the 2015 Super 8 Cruiserweight tournament. Born in Lagos, Nigeria and raised in New Zealand since he was 12, he became middleweight champion of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC . UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones will tour Australia next month. Do you have any heroes? Top New Zealand UFC fighters like Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker have been incredibly influential in popularising this vibrant sport. Pedro is however coming off back-to-back defeats which have seen his ranking fall down the light-heavyweight standings, the most recent of which came in Adelaide via a third-round TKO. [93], Adesanya began his professional boxing career in November 2014 against two-time Australian champion Daniel Ammann. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Robertson commented "I'm sure Israel understands that, I believe he has deleted the tweet in question. The two had previously met in the final of the 2014 Cruiserweight tournament. Required fields are marked *. Alexander Volkanovski's last five fights have been against Chad Mendes, Jose Aldo, Max Holloway (twice), and Brian Ortega. [82] Adesanya controlled a majority of the fight winning via unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 5045. It was the second cruiserweight series with the winner receiving $25,000 NZD and a new car. Fighter Fighting Style Height Weight; Alex Pereira: Kick Boxing: 6' 4" 184 lbs: Israel Adesanya: Striker: 6' 4" 185 lbs So, we put together a match-day XIII, and here . [63] The fight was widely regarded as the best fight of the year, earning the nomination from most of the MMA news outlets. All fighters' MMA records are listed are retrieved from Sherdog's website. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Number of fighters in each division is counted as per date indicated only for the number could change week by week. We've dived into the UFC history books and have compiled a list of the Greatest Australian and New Zealand fighters to have competed in the organisation. Updated as of April 25, 2023, after UFC Fight Night: Pavlovich vs. The panel votes for the top active fighters in the UFC by both weight class and pound-for-pound. Hailing from Auckland in New Zealand but now residing in Australia, Kara-France started off as a kickboxer before transitioning to MMA. Israel Adesanya is now the UFC Middleweight champion and Alexander Volkanovski, the Featherweight Champ. As of 13September2022[update], the UFC roster consisted of fighters from 71 countries. As of 13 September 2022, the UFC roster consisted of fighters from 71 countries. The UFC middleweight champion promised to never fight on New Zealand soil in consequence of what he deems unfair treatment from the New Zealand government and the COVID-19 restrictions of the "Managed Isolation and Quarantine" system. As of March 21, 2023, he is #5 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings. One of the rising superstars of the UFC, Adesanya is making waves all over the globe after steadily climbing the middleweight rankings. Check out the complete list of current & active UFC Fighters- male & female and complete UFC roster from different weight categories (Welterweight, Bantamweight, Featherweight, Flyweight, Lightweight, Middleweight, Heavyweight, Strawweight). We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. The UFC rankings are rated by a panel made up of MMA media members. Whittaker does New Zealand proud with the way he handles himself in and out of the ring. [65] After a knockdown in last second of the first round, Adesanya won the fight via knockout in the second round. [67], Adesanya next faced three-time UFC title challenger Yoel Romero on 7 March 2020 UFC 248. Adesanya's next fight took place on 14 April 2018, against Marvin Vettori at UFC on Fox 29. [59] This fight earned both competitors the Fight of the Night award. Vote for who you think are the greatest Australian MMA fighters of all time. Robert Whittaker the winner 899 'The Reaper' did end up losing his title to Adesanya in 2019, but. [97], Adesanya re-entered the Super 8 tournament in May 2015, held at Horncastle Arena in Christchurch. . 1. What was your job before you started fighting? Temporary suspended by UFC until a decision is reached at the hearing in April 2023. "The Brute" had emerged from Dana White's Tuesday night Contender Series, earning himself a UFC contract with a brutal TKO of Chris Birchler. What ranks and titles have you held? ? Kai-Kara France Next on the list is Kai-Kara France who is a flyweight fighter who has gained popularity with his high energy and entertaining fighting style. One of three Kiwis on our list, Kara-France also made his UFC debut in Adelaide last year.