History of Israel Adesanya in Timeline

Israel Adesanya is a Nigerian-New Zealander professional mixed martial artist, former kickboxer, and boxer, who competes in the UFC Middleweight division. He is a former two-time UFC Middleweight Champion. In kickboxing, he challenged for the Glory Middleweight Championship. As of March 10, 2026, he is ranked #4 in the UFC middleweight division.

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Full Timeline

1960: Start of Nigerian sports history since

Since 1960, Premium Times have been recording Nigerian sports history.

July 1989: Israel Adesanya Born

On July 1989, Israel Mobolaji Temitayo Odunayo Oluwafemi Owolabi Adesanya was born. He is a Nigerian-New Zealand 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: First Time Since Two Male Unbeaten Mixed Martial Artists Met in a Title Fight

In September 2020, when Adesanya faced Paulo Costa, this 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 MMA debut with a TKO win against James Griffiths.

November 2014: Professional Boxing Career

In November 2014, Israel Adesanya began his professional boxing career against Daniel Ammann in the cruiserweight Super 8 Boxing Tournament. He suffered a controversial loss via unanimous decision.

2014: Kunlun Fight 80 kg 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 by an extra round split decision.

2014: Final of 2014 Cruiserweight tournament

Israel Adesanya previously met Jamie Eades in the final of the 2014 Cruiserweight tournament.

May 2015: Super 8 Tournament

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

August 2015: Return to MMA

In August 2015, Israel Adesanya returned to MMA and won 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, winning the tournament by unanimous decision.

2015: King in the Ring Tournament Wins

In 2015, Israel Adesanya participated in the King in the Ring Cruiserweights II tournament, winning against Slava Alexeichik, Pati Afoa, and Jamie Eades. Six months later, he won the 2015 Cruiserweights III tournament, defeating Kim Loudon, Mark Timms, and Pati Afoa.

2015: Super 8 Cruiserweight tournament win

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

2016: Glory Middleweight Contender Tournament and Championship Fight

In 2016, Israel Adesanya won the Glory Middleweight Contender Tournament, defeating Robert Thomas and Yousri Belgaroui. He then fought Jason Wilnis for the Glory Middleweight Championship at Glory 37: Los Angeles but lost by unanimous decision.

December 2017: Signing with UFC

In December 2017, it was announced that Israel Adesanya had signed a contract with the UFC.

February 2018: UFC Debut at UFC 221

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

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

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

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

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

February 2019: Fight against Anderson Silva at UFC 234

On February 2019, Israel Adesanya faced Anderson Silva at UFC 234, winning by unanimous decision and earning the Fight of the Night award.

April 2019: UFC 236 Fight

In April 2019, Israel Adesanya fought against Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236.

April 2019: Fight against Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236

On April 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.

October 2019: Title Unification Bout Against Robert Whittaker at UFC 243

On October 2019, Israel Adesanya faced Robert Whittaker at UFC 243 for the UFC Middleweight Championship, winning by knockout in the second round and earning his fourth Performance of the Night award.

February 2020: Controversial Comments at UFC 248 Pre-Fight Press Conference

In February 2020, Israel Adesanya came under fire for comments made at the UFC 248 pre-fight press conference, where he referenced the September 11 attacks. He later apologized on his Instagram page.

March 2020: Title defense against Yoel Romero at UFC 248

On March 2020, Israel Adesanya faced Yoel Romero at UFC 248, winning by unanimous decision and defending his title for the first time. The fight was criticized for its low activity.

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

On September 2020, Israel Adesanya faced Paulo Costa at UFC 253, winning by technical knockout and earning his fifth Performance of the Night award. The fight was followed by controversy over Adesanya's gynecomastia and his simulating anal sex on Costa.

2020: Ranked 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.

2020: Endorsement of Cannabis Referendum

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

March 2021: Controversial Instagram Comment

In March 2021, New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson criticized Israel Adesanya's Instagram comment where he made a rape joke towards Kevin Holland. Robertson stated that Adesanya deleted the tweet, and that the UFC would determine any further action. Robertson emphasized that rape is a serious issue and should not be joked about.

March 2021: Fight against Jan Błachowicz for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship at UFC 259

On March 2021, Israel Adesanya moved up a weight class and faced 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: Advocating Tougher Penalties Against Coward Punching

In June 2021, Israel Adesanya advocated 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: Rematch Against Marvin Vettori at UFC 263

On June 2021, Israel Adesanya rematched Marvin Vettori for the UFC Middleweight Championship at UFC 263, winning by unanimous decision.

February 2022: Rematch against Robert Whittaker at UFC 271

On February 2022, Israel Adesanya had a rematch against Robert Whittaker for the UFC Middleweight Championship at UFC 271, winning by unanimous decision.

July 2022: Fight against Jared Cannonier at UFC 276

On July 2022, Israel Adesanya faced Jared Cannonier at UFC 276, winning by unanimous decision and 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 possessing brass knuckles.

November 2022: Fight against Alex Pereira at UFC 281

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

April 2023: Rematch against Alex Pereira at UFC 287

On April 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, "Stylebender", a documentary film focusing on the life of Israel Adesanya, debuted 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 central Auckland, New Zealand, with a blood alcohol content of 87mg%.

September 2023: Fight Against Sean Strickland at UFC 293

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

January 2024: Guilty Plea and Sentence

In January 2024, Israel Adesanya pleaded guilty to drunk driving and was fined NZ$1,500 and given a six-month driving suspension. He was granted a discharge without conviction and later posted videos from inside the court to his social media pages, which is illegal in New Zealand without the permission of the presiding judge. He later removed the posts and released an apology.

August 2024: Controversial Comments on Women's Boxing

In August 2024, Israel Adesanya made false comments on Twitter regarding Imane Khelif's win at the 2024 Summer Olympics and later apologized. He stated he would refrain from commenting on women's fights in the future.

August 2024: Fight Against Dricus du Plessis at UFC 305

On August 2024, Israel Adesanya faced Dricus du Plessis for the UFC Middleweight Championship at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia. He 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 in the direction of another man. He alleged he was racially abused and will be looking to press charges against the individual.

February 2025: Induction into UFC Hall of Fame

In February 2025, 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: Fight Against Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Fight Night 250

On February 2025, Israel Adesanya faced Nassourdine Imavov in the main event at UFC Fight Night 250, losing the fight by technical knockout in the second round.