History of Israel Adesanya in Timeline

Israel Adesanya is a Nigerian-New Zealander, a professional mixed martial artist, and former kickboxer and boxer. He is a prominent figure in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former two-time Middleweight Champion. Currently ranked #4 in the UFC middleweight division (as of February 4, 2025), Adesanya also has a background in kickboxing, having challenged for the Glory Middleweight Championship. He is known for his striking abilities and charismatic personality.

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Full Timeline

July 1989: Israel Adesanya's Birth

In July 1989, Israel Mobolaji Temitayo Odunayo Oluwafemi Owolabi Adesanya was born. He is a Nigerian-New Zealander professional mixed martial artist, former kickboxer, and boxer.

1999: Relocation to Ghana

In 1999, Israel Adesanya relocated to Ghana with his family for 10 months before settling in Rotorua, New Zealand.

2009: Unbeaten Fighters in a Title Fight

In September 2020 at UFC 253, Israel Adesanya faced Paulo Costa which marked the first time two male unbeaten mixed martial artists met in a title fight since 2009.

2012: Professional MMA Debut

In 2012, Israel Adesanya made his professional mixed martial arts debut with a TKO win against James Griffiths.

November 2014: Professional Boxing Debut and Super 8 Tournament

In November 2014, Israel Adesanya began his professional boxing career against Daniel Ammann and entered the Super 8 Boxing Tournament, suffering a controversial loss in the quarter-finals.

2014: Kunlun Fight Tournament

In 2014, Israel Adesanya earned a place in the Kunlun Fight 80 kg tournament, held during Kunlun Fight 2, but lost the semifinal bout against Simon Marcus.

2014: Past encounter with Jamie Eades

Israel Adesanya faced Jamie Eades in the finals of the 2015 The Heavyweights III, after they had previously met in the final of the 2014 Cruiserweight tournament.

May 2015: Super 8 Tournament Win

In May 2015, Israel Adesanya re-entered the Super 8 tournament, winning his first professional fight against Asher Derbyshire, and ultimately defeating Lance Bryant and Brian Minto to win the tournament.

August 2015: Return to MMA

In August 2015, Israel Adesanya returned to MMA after a two-year hiatus, winning against Song Kenan by TKO.

2015: The Heavyweights III Tournament Win

In 2015, Israel Adesanya participated in The Heavyweights III tournament. He defeated Nase Foai, Dan Roberts and Jamie Eades to win the tournament.

2015: King in the Ring Cruiserweights II Tournament Win

In 2015, Israel Adesanya participated in the King in the Ring Cruiserweights II tournament in New Zealand, defeating Slava Alexeichik, Pati Afoa, and Jamie Eades to win the tournament.

2015: Super 8 Cruiserweight Tournament Win

In 2015, Israel Adesanya won his semifinal match against Zane Hopman by unanimous decision and defended the cruiserweight crown with a unanimous decision win against Lance Bryant in the final of the Super 8 Cruiserweight tournament.

2016: Glory Middleweight Contender Tournament and Championship Fight

In 2016, Israel Adesanya won the Glory Middleweight Contender Tournament by defeating Robert Thomas and Yousri Belgaroui. He then fought Jason Wilnis for the Glory Middleweight championship but lost by unanimous decision.

December 2017: Signed with UFC

In December 2017, Israel Adesanya signed a contract with the UFC.

February 2018: UFC Debut and Performance of the Night Award

On February 11, 2018, Israel Adesanya made his UFC debut against Rob Wilkinson at UFC 221, winning by technical knockout in the second round and earning a Performance of the Night award.

April 2018: Fight against Marvin Vettori at UFC on Fox 29

On April 14, 2018, Israel Adesanya fought against Marvin Vettori at UFC on Fox 29 and won by split decision.

July 2018: Fight against Brad Tavares at The Ultimate Fighter 27 Finale

On July 6, 2018, Israel Adesanya fought against Brad Tavares at The Ultimate Fighter 27 Finale, winning by unanimous decision and earning his second Performance of the Night award.

November 2018: Fight against Derek Brunson at UFC 230

On November 3, 2018, Israel Adesanya fought Derek Brunson at UFC 230, winning by technical knockout in round one and earning his third Performance of the Night award.

February 2019: Main Event Against Anderson Silva at UFC 234

On February 10, 2019, Israel Adesanya faced Anderson Silva in the main event of UFC 234, winning by unanimous decision. Both competitors earned the Fight of the Night award.

April 2019: Interim UFC Middleweight Championship Win

On April 13, 2019, Israel Adesanya faced Kelvin Gastelum for the interim UFC Middleweight Championship at UFC 236, winning by unanimous decision and earning the Fight of the Night award. The fight was widely regarded as the best fight of the year.

April 2019: UFC 236 Fight

The bout between Israel Adesanya and Kelvin Gastelum that occurred on April 2019 was inducted into the 2025 UFC Hall of Fame.

October 2019: UFC Middleweight Championship Win

On October 6, 2019, Israel Adesanya faced Robert Whittaker at UFC 243, winning the fight via knockout in the second round to become the UFC Middleweight Champion, earning his fourth Performance of the Night award.

February 2020: Controversial Comments and Apology

In February 2020, Israel Adesanya faced criticism for comments made at the UFC 248 pre-fight press conference and subsequently apologized on his Instagram page.

March 2020: First Title Defense Against Yoel Romero at UFC 248

On March 7, 2020, Israel Adesanya faced Yoel Romero at UFC 248 and won by unanimous decision, defending his title for the first time, though the fight was considered uneventful by many.

September 2020: Sponsorship Deal with Puma

In September 2020, Israel Adesanya became the first mixed martial arts athlete to sign a sponsorship deal with Puma.

September 2020: Title Defense Against Paulo Costa at UFC 253 and Subsequent Controversy

On September 27, 2020, Israel Adesanya faced Paulo Costa at UFC 253, winning by technical knockout in the second round and earning his fifth Performance of the Night award. The fight was followed by controversy over Adesanya's gynecomastia and his post-fight actions.

2020: Recognition in Nigerian Sports History

In 2020, Israel Adesanya and Kamaru Usman becoming UFC champions was ranked as the 29th most memorable moment in Nigerian sports history since 1960 by Premium Times.

2020: Endorsement of Cannabis Referendum

In 2020, Israel Adesanya endorsed a "yes" vote in the 2020 New Zealand cannabis referendum.

March 2021: Controversial Instagram Post

In March 2021, Israel Adesanya faced criticism after making a flippant comment, "Bro, I will fuckin' rape you," aimed at Kevin Holland on his Instagram. New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister, Grant Robertson, condemned the comment, emphasizing the seriousness of rape and urging Adesanya to understand the gravity of his words.

March 2021: Loss to Jan Błachowicz at UFC 259

On March 6, 2021, Israel Adesanya moved up a weight class to face Jan Błachowicz for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship at UFC 259, losing by unanimous decision and marking his first defeat in mixed martial arts.

June 2021: Advocacy for Tougher Penalties Against Coward Punching

In June 2021, Israel Adesanya advocated for tougher penalties against coward punching following the death of his training partner, Fau Vake, who died after being punched in the head the previous month.

June 2021: UFC Middleweight Championship Against Marvin Vettori

On June 12, 2021, Israel Adesanya rematched Marvin Vettori for the UFC Middleweight Championship at UFC 263. Adesanya won via unanimous decision.

February 2022: UFC Middleweight Championship Against Robert Whittaker

On February 12, 2022, Israel Adesanya rematched Robert Whittaker for the UFC Middleweight Championship at UFC 271. Adesanya won via unanimous decision.

July 2022: UFC 276 Victory and Fan Bonus

On July 2, 2022, Israel Adesanya faced Jared Cannonier at UFC 276 and won via unanimous decision, earning the Crypto.com Fan Bonus of the Night first place award which paid in bitcoin of US$30,000.

November 2022: Arrest at JFK Airport

In November 2022, Israel Adesanya was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City for possession of brass knuckles.

November 2022: Loss to Alex Pereira at UFC 281

On November 12, 2022, Israel Adesanya faced Alex Pereira at UFC 281, losing the fight and title via technical knockout in the fifth round. This marked his first loss at middleweight.

April 2023: UFC Middleweight Championship Win Against Alex Pereira

On April 8, 2023, Israel Adesanya rematched Alex Pereira for the UFC Middleweight Championship at UFC 287, winning the fight and title via knockout in the second round and earning the Performance of the Night award.

June 2023: "Stylebender" Documentary Debut

In June 2023, the documentary film "Stylebender," focusing on the life of Israel Adesanya, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.

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August 2023: Drunk Driving Incident

In August 2023, Israel Adesanya was pulled over for drunk driving in Auckland, New Zealand, with a blood alcohol content of 87mg%, exceeding the legal limit.

September 2023: Loss to Sean Strickland at UFC 293

On September 10, 2023, Israel Adesanya faced Sean Strickland at UFC 293, losing the bout and championship in a major upset via unanimous decision.

January 2024: Guilty Plea and Sentencing

In January 2024, Israel Adesanya pleaded guilty to drunk driving. He received a fine of NZ$1,500 and a six-month driving suspension, avoiding a prison sentence. He was also granted a discharge without conviction and later removed social media posts from inside the court and released an apology.

August 2024: Controversial Comments on Women's Boxing

In August 2024, Israel Adesanya made controversial comments on Twitter regarding Algerian boxer Imane Khelif's win at the 2024 Summer Olympics, which he later apologized for, acknowledging his misjudgment.

August 2024: UFC Middleweight Championship Against Dricus du Plessis

On August 18, 2024, Israel Adesanya faced Dricus du Plessis for the UFC Middleweight Championship at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia and lost the fight via a face crank submission in the fourth round leading to the first submission loss in his career.

September 2024: Road Rage Incident

In September 2024, Israel Adesanya was involved in a road rage incident in Auckland, New Zealand, where he was caught on video spitting at another individual. Adesanya expressed disappointment and alleged racial abuse, indicating intent to press charges.

February 2025: UFC Middleweight Ranking and Hall of Fame Induction

As of February 2025, Israel Adesanya is ranked #4 in the UFC middleweight rankings. Also in February 2025, it was announced that Adesanya's bout with Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236 in April 2019 will be inducted into the fight wing of the 2025 UFC Hall of Fame.

February 2025: UFC Hall of Fame Induction Announcement

In February 2025, during the UFC 312 broadcast, it was announced that Israel Adesanya's bout with Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236 in April 2019 would be inducted into the fight wing of the 2025 UFC Hall of Fame.

February 2025: Loss to Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Fight Night 250

On February 1, 2025, Israel Adesanya faced Nassourdine Imavov in a non-title bout at UFC Fight Night 250, losing by technical knockout in the second round.