Israel Adesanya
Active 2018–present · rated in 4 editions · peak overall 92.0
Scouting report
A 98 Kickboxing rating and 96 Fight IQ define Israel "The Last Stylebender" Adesanya, who changed modern middleweight striking. Born in Lagos, Nigeria and sharpened at City Kickboxing in Auckland, New Zealand, Adesanya captured the undisputed UFC Middleweight Championship and defended it with feints, head movement, and counter-punching.
Peak ratings
By edition
Adesanya authored a rookie run from 2018 to 2019, defeating Rob Wilkinson, Marvin Vettori, Brad Tavares, Derek Brunson at UFC 230, Anderson Silva in Melbourne, Kelvin Gastelum in a title war at UFC 236 to capture the interim belt, and knocking out Robert Whittaker in front of 57,000 fans at UFC 243 to become undisputed champion. His kickboxing feints, counter-striking precision, and footwork are reflected in a 92 Boxing and 97 Kickboxing.
Adesanya defended his middleweight crown across 2020 and 2021, defeating Yoel Romero at UFC 248, dismantling undefeated Paulo Costa with a second-round TKO at UFC 253 on Fight Island, and outpointing Marvin Vettori at UFC 263 in Glendale. His precision, distance management, and takedown defense anchor his 94 Boxing and 98 Kickboxing.
Adesanya defeated Robert Whittaker and Jared Cannonier, suffered a fifth-round stoppage loss to Alex Pereira at UFC 281, and scored a second-round knockout of Pereira at UFC 287 in Miami to reclaim the title, before dropping bouts to Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis. His striking variety, counter hooks, and tactical IQ justify his 92 Boxing and 97 Kickboxing.
Overall is an editorial rating. It can differ from a simple average of the attributes.
Israel Adesanya: a kickboxer who could wait
Israel Adesanya arrived with a GLORY kickboxing record and cleared out middleweight by moving his head, feinting and waiting for a mistake. He is the best long-range counter-striker on the board, with a couple of grappling gaps to plan around.
Adesanya attribute by attribute
Boxing. Counter-punching with surgical timing. He leans out of range on the pull, then snaps back with a right cross or check hook.
Kickboxing. A high point. The question-mark kick is famous, the calf kicks disable opponents, and a large stock of feints supports all of it.
Wrestling. Defensive only, and quite good. Balance, framing and cage awareness shut down Derek Brunson and Robert Whittaker.
BJJ. Sound defence. He survived against strong grapplers by holding half guard and walking the wall, but rarely looks for a submission.
Strength. Lean and wiry. Frames and leverage replace muscle, which caused trouble under big grapplers like Jan Blachowicz.
Durability. Good recovery and a solid chin. He lived through wars with Kelvin Gastelum and Alex Pereira.
Cardio. Excellent. He bounces on his toes for 25 minutes and keeps feinting into the championship rounds.
Fight IQ. He works from reads, using feints to learn how an opponent reacts and setting the trap afterward.
The trait to take: Kickboxing
A wide arsenal, all of it dangerous. Your fighter can manage range and finish with almost any limb.
The trait to skip: Offensive BJJ
Adesanya does not submit people. If your build gets dropped and needs a panic submission off its back, this slot will not help.
Keep exploring
Closest middleweight profiles to Israel Adesanya, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Anderson Silvabest fight iq 98 · weakest wrestling 76
- Robert Whittakerbest cardio 92 · weakest bjj 80
- Gegard Mousasibest boxing 89 · weakest wrestling 80
- Lyoto Machidabest kickboxing 90 · weakest strength 78
- Middleweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Grappling vs striking in the draft: a guide that fits Israel Adesanya's strongest attribute, Kickboxing.
Draft Israel Adesanya into your build
Israel Adesanya enters the pool on any spin landing on middleweight between 2018 and present. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Israel Adesanya is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Israel Adesanya's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.