Israel Adesanya next fight: ‘The Last Stylebender’ Makes Long-Awaited Return In August Title Fight

Adesanya and Du Plessis have wanted to fight each other for some time. Now they finally get the booking that will be one of the most highly anticipated of the summer when they face off in the main event of UFC 305.

The striking gap: MMA math will suggest that since Du Plessis beat Sean Strickland, a fighter who beat Adesanya last year, he should be able to fair well in a standup fight in August. However, MMA math is often wrong. “Izzy” is an elite counter puncher and the South African can often make big stakes on the feat his foe could pounce on.

Du Plessis needs to be very careful and measured in his striking decisions are reap some nasty punishments for silly mistakes.

Ground war: Du Plessis is a better grappler than striker. The big question is can he take Adesanya down and keep him there on fight night? It is a big unknown since the champ has not faced a fighter with this mix of elite striking and very technical takedown defense. If he can get the challenger down consistently it would be a game changer.

The bottom line: This is a fight that many fans have wanted and should create a lot of buzz as the two interact in the lead-up to the fight.

What makes Israel Adesanya so popular?

Adesanya truly is a one-of-a-kind combat athlete. He is akin to Muhammad Ali and Roy Jones, Jr. in mixing world-class physical gifts with it-factor charisma. The native of New Zealand is a perfect representation of the era he dominated in and will surely go down as many Gen Z fans’ favorite UFC fighter.

The Avatar of the UFC: Adesanya is a top three pound-for-pound talent because he can beautifully blend both the physical and mental sides of fighting into one dynamic combat package.

• Israel Adesanya Record: 24-3 (16 knockouts)
• Adesanya has never lost at middleweight. During his six-year run in the UFC, he’s beaten elite fighters like Derek Brunson, Paulo Costa, Marvin Vettori (twice), Robert Whittaker (twice), Alex Pereira, and Yoel Romero.
• In a clash of generations, Adesanya fought his idol, and the man considered the greatest MMA middleweight of all time, Anderson Silva, in 2018. Although the then-43-year-old Silva showed the heart of a lion, his younger counterpart was the better man and won by unanimous decision.
• Before he jumped to MMA, Adesanya was a world-class kickboxer. Amassing a 75-5 record with 48 KOs.

The Stylish Bender: The New Zealand resident has become a sports superstar by unabashedly being himself. A confident, cocky, funny, and creative man that connects with the 18 to 35 age demographic that all sports properties and advertisers want.

• Adesanya has over nine million followers on his various social media accounts, including six million on Instagram.
• The champ also runs popular OnlyFans and YouTube pages. His YouTube channel has millions of subscribers, which helps him earn a solid income from his videos.
• Adesanya made headlines in 2021 when he took part in the “Black Lives Matter” protests in New Zealand. At the protest, he gave a passionate speech and used his fame to help push the popular social movement.

Israel Adesanya’s net worth

Money is often one of the greatest measuring sticks for a fighter’s success. As of 2021, Adesanya’s net worth is estimated to be $4 million.