This weekend’s clash against Nassourdine Imavov is a must win for ‘The Last Stylebender’ as yet another defeat inside the cage could spell the end for the former middleweight king
Israel Adesanya will tonight be fighting without a title on the line since his showdown with Anderson Silva six years ago.
It’s been quite the journey for ‘The Last Stylebender’ – who made his professional mixed martial debut back in 2012. While to many the Kiwi native is one of the best 185lb stars in the history of the division, his credentials are far greater than those he has earned in the UFC after making a name for himself in the world of kickboxing.
After spending nearly a decade in the sport and, on top of that, picking up several commendable accolades, Adesanya fully transitioned into MMA in 2017, but not before facing Alex Pereira for a second time. In the kickboxing sequel with ‘Poatan,’ the Brazilian brutally knocked out ‘The Last Stylebender’ with a short left hook in the third round. While it seemed like the pair would never face off again, the combat sports gods have a unique way of getting what they want…
Following a short stint in the Asian and Oceanian MMA scene, Dana White and his fellow colleagues decided to take a punt on the lustrous kickboxer born in Nigeria. It seemed only right that he made his UFC debut close to home in front of his family and close friends in 2018. A knockout victory over Rob Wilkinson kickstarted a historic run inside the promotion.
Decision victories over Marvin Vettori and Brad Tavares followed, but his next clash against Derek Brunson proved to be a turning point in Adesanya’s career. Featuring on the main card at Madison Square Garden, it was a real ‘pinch me’ moment for the 35-year-old, having the opportunity to perform in the same arena as Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Joe Frazier and Conor McGregor prior.
In the biggest test of his career, Adesanya passed with flying colours, scoring a devastating and dominant first round knockout over the menacing Brunson. The win well and truly put his name on the map before following it up with another convincing win over former middleweight king, Anderson Silva. The victory over ‘The Spider’ truly seemed to be the passing of the torch as it showed he was ready for the big stage. He was then rewarded with a shot at interim gold against Kelvin Gastelum in April 2019. The bout had many fans talking before the pair went head-to-head, but it even exceeded their expectations as the two fighters put on a breathtaking display in what was one of the best fights in the history of the division.
Maintaining his undefeated record, Adesanya booked himself a shot at undisputed gold against fellow Oceanian rival, Robert Whittaker, towards the back end of 2019. It was rather fitting that the promotion booked the fight in Australia at the Marvel Stadium in front of over 57,000 people. In MMA, many tend to crumble when the lights are at its brightest, but not Adesanya – who scored a beautiful and crisp knockout to dethrone ‘The Reaper.’
The win sparked new life into ‘The Last Stylebender’ – who continued to grow after the fight. After emerging victorious in his first title defence against the hair-raising Yoel Romero, Adesanya’s second defence came against the then-undefeated Paulo Costa. While many thought the Brazilian had the tools to dethrone the Kiwi star, the latter put on a career-defining display and knocked out the challenger in under two rounds. Nowadays, in order to become a true great, you have to succeed in two divisions. In his next bout, Adesanya moved up and challenged Jan Błachowicz for the light-heavyweight strap. Despite making a good account of himself, the clash was a step too far for Adesanya – who suffered a defeat on points.
Despite daring to be great, he moved back down as he had a throne to maintain. On his return, he defeated Marvin Vettori before wins over Robert Whittaker and Jared Cannonier. While it seemed Adesanya was going to be unstoppable at middleweight, a new contender emerged. Enter Pereira, a very familiar name to ‘Izzy.’ ‘Poatan’ was lurking in the shadows before springing to life at UFC 276 (headlined by Adesanya) as he shocked the world with a jaw-dropping knockout over Sean Strickland. The win allowed the Brazilian to quickly make his way back to the cage to watch his rival defend the title against Cannonier. Far from impressed with Adesanya’s performance, Pereira called for a showdown with his long-time foe, but this time in the cage – and his wish was granted.
In November 2022, the pair went toe-to-toe and proved why they were the best in the division at the time. But just like the two previous times in kickboxing, Pereira found a way to spoil the party. A last-gasp knockout in the final round ensured a historic victory for ‘Poatan’ – handing Adesanya his first loss at middleweight. Eager to get his revenge, Israel jumped straight into a rematch. Five months on from the first encounter, it looked Pereira was in cruise control in the early proceedings before Adesanya pulled out an incredible knockout from nowhere to reclaim his throne.
For many, it felt like it’d be another turning point for Adesanya, but MMA is a cruel and unforgiving sport. In September 2023, he would return to the cage in what should’ve been a routine and comfortable day at the office against Sean Strickland. However, the controversial American produced one of the biggest upsets in UFC history by dominating the clash and picking up the belt.
The fight seemed to shock the world, and even Adesanya – who needed a lot of time away from the cage to lick his wounds and figure out what’s next. After a year away from the Octagon, ‘The Last Stylebender’ surprisingly jumped straight back into a title fight against South African star Dricus du Plessis. Despite showing signs of his hold self, Adesanya was unable to become a middleweight champion for a third time after tapping out in the fourth round.
At 35, many are wondering how much he’s got left to give. But Adesanya is a true professional and is eager to reclaim the illustrious gold strap. But rather than being a champion or a challenger on fight night this weekend, the Kiwi star faces an unfamiliar role of being a contender against Nassourdine Imavov. With a professional record of 15-4-1, Imavov has had a real stop-start career inside the cage. After losing two of his first five fights in the UFC, Imavov has emerged as a real top contender following wins over Roman Dolidze, Jared Cannonier and most recently, Brendan Allen.
While they may not seem like big names, Imavov is a legit world class fighter and possess a real threat to Adesanya’s title plans. A strong striker with a big grappling background, ‘The Sniper’ will be hoping to pounce on Adesanya’s current run of form and secure the biggest win of his career in Saudi Arabia. Defeat this weekend could spell the end for ‘The Last Stylebender,’ but if there’s anyone in the sport that’s capable of rolling back the years, it’s without a doubt the former middleweight champion.
