Some Israel Adesanya next fight news should arrive in the coming weeks, but until then let’s speculate on some likely opponent options and take a look back at his revenge victory against Alex Pereira in April.
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Who will Israel Adesanya next fight be against?
With Adesanya back in the middleweight division’s top spot, his next fight options are limited. That is why matchups with Dricus Du Plessis, Khamzat Chimaev, and Jamahal Hill are strong possibilities for his return to the Octagon.
- Stillknocks: Adesanya and the South African have had a war of words in the media over the last few months. If Du Plessis can beat former champion Robert Whittaker, he could easily jump several spots into a title fight later this year.
- Borz: With the contender options weaker than normal at 185-pounds, the UFC could push for a pure spectacle clash with popular two-division competitor Khamzat Chimaev. While it isn’t fair, it would certainly draw a huge amount of interest.
- Sweet Dreams: Israel Adesanya has a lot of sway in the promotion. It isn’t impossible he pushes for a second try at two-division champ status, and going after new champion Jamahal Hill would be a smart play by “The Last Stylebender.”
Israel Adesanya vs Alex Pereira II review
After three straight losses in kickboxing and MMA, Adesanya was finally able to get cold, sweet revenge against the boogeyman that is Alex Pereira at UFC 287 in April.
What happened: It didn’t take long for Adesanya to get comfortable and start to assert himself against Pereira. While he needed to be careful and on guard, the talent level between the two showed as it did in their previous fights.
After a round of feeling out and testing weaknesses, the New Zealander was able to land a damaging punch in the second that dropped his foe and set up a destructive highlight KO finish on the ground.
The fallout: Adesanya finally beat the man that owned real estate in his head for the better part of the last decade. It got his biggest career monkey off his back and also sent Pereira on to the light heavyweight division.
The roadmap: Now as the division king again, Adesanya will look to add to his impressive resume as the UFC middleweight king and take on the next best contenders in the weight class.
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. Adesanya is a perfect representation of the era he dominates 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: 23-2 (16 knockouts)
- Adesanya has never lost at middleweight. During his three-plus-year run in the UFC, he’s beaten elite fighters like Derek Brunson, Paulo Costa, Marvin Vettori (twice), Whittaker (twice), 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 currently has over 1.1 million 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.
