Israel Adesanya's net worth, record, height, weight, best knockouts

Have you heard of New Zealand's boxing sensation, Israel Adesanya, and what he has achieved in his career? This article looks into Israel Adesanya's net worth and boxing career. Also, discover more about his biography and family.

Adesanya is a brave fighter, born and raised in Nigeria. He has enjoyed an illustrious career and earns a lot of money in his fights. Find out more, including Israel Adesanya's birthday and nationality.

Israel Adesanya's profile summary

Biography

Israel is the eldest of five children in their family. His dad, Oluwafemi, is an accountant, and his mum, Taiwo, is a nurse. Interestingly, the 32-year-old can speak multiple languages, including Yoruba, Nigerian Pidgin, and English.

He went to Chrisland School, Opebi, and participated in Taekwondo. Then, in 1999, he moved with his family to Ghana and stayed there for ten months before moving to Rotorua, New Zealand.

Israel studied at Rotorua Boys' High School and later enrolled with the Universal College of Learning in Whanganui, and majored in computer design.

Dropping out of college

Although the Last Stylebender showed no interest in sports in high school, he suddenly quit his studies to pursue a career in kickboxing at 18. But what inspired his decision?

Adesanya got inspired to take up martial arts after watching a Thai movie named Ong-Bak. The movie is based on the sport of Muay Thai. The 32-year-old then travelled to fight in China and realize his dream.

Early career

Israel Adesanya's record in amateur boxing is out of the ordinary. He registered an outstanding record of 32-0 against his rivals.

From his amateur career, Israel entered professional boxing. So, let us find out Israel Adesanya's best knockouts and achievements.

Professional kickboxing career

The Last Stylebender won his first seven fights as a professional fighter after beating Tim Antonio via unanimous decision in May 2010.

He went to Auckland in New Zealand at age 21 to pursue a career in MMA under Eugene Bareman at City Kickboxing, a mixed martial arts training gym based in Auckland, New Zealand.

Kunlun Fight 80kg

The UFC fighter lost to Simon Marcus in the semi-final of the 2014 Kunlun Fight 80kg, by a split judgment.

Glory Middleweight Contender Tournament

He eliminated Robert Thomas in the semi-finals of the Glory Middleweight Contender Tournament in 2016. He then beat Yousri Belgaroui in the final by a split decision to lift the title.

Glory Middleweight Championship

The fighter lost to Jason Wilnis in the final of the Glory Middleweight Championship in Los Angeles. Israel Adesanya's loss was considered a somewhat controversial unanimous decision.

Adesanya's final kickboxing match came against Alex Pereira at Glory of Heroes 7, in 2017, which he lost via a knockout.

Mixed Martial Arts Career

Israel made his professional MMA debut in 2012 with a TKO (Technical Knock Out) victory over James Griffiths. He also won his second MMA fight with a TKO over John Vake.

However, he took a two-year break and returned in 2015. He fought in the Chinese and Oceanian circuits and posted an 8-0 career record.

Ultimate Fighting Championship career

Adesanya began his UFC career in 2018, fighting against Rob Wilkinson at UFC 221, which he won via technical knockout.

His next UFC fight came against Marvin Vettori on Fox 29, and he won the fight by a split decision. He later defeated Brad Tavares by unanimous decision and Derek Brunson at UFC 230. He also beat Anderson Silva at UFC 234 in early 2019.

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Football

UFC Middleweight Championship

In April 2019, Adesanya beat Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236 to win the interim UFC Middleweight Championship. He won the highly competitive match via unanimous decision.

The 32-year-old also beat Robert Whittaker at UFC 243 to claim the title. He defended his accolade in Match 2020 after defeating Yoel Romero at UFC 248 by unanimous decision.

The Last Stylebender later beat the undefeated Paulo Costa via technical knockout to defend his title at UFC 253. After that, he moved up weight classes in 2021 and faced Jan Błachowicz, who handed him his first-ever MMA defeat.

Despite the loss, Israel bounced back with a victory over Marvin Vettori in a rematch at UFC 263. He, again, successfully defended his title at UFC 271 in his rematch against Robert Whittaker in February 2022.

Professional boxing career

Israel launched his professional boxing career in 2014. He received a cruiserweight wildcard to enter the Super 8 Boxing Tournament in Auckland, New Zealand.

Super 8 Boxing Tournament

The New Zealand fighter lost to Daniel Ammann by unanimous decision but returned in 2015 with a victory over Asher Derbyshire. He won the title after defeating Lance Bryant and Brian Minto.

The Last Stylebender defended his cruiserweight title by defeating Zane Hopman in the semi-final and Lance Bryant in the final.

Adesanya's achievements

In addition to winning several titles and Performance of the Night bonuses, the professional boxer also holds a fantastic record of 21-1-0 in his MMA career.

His decent form made him second in the February 2022 UFC rankings under the Men's Pound-for-Pound category. But how much is Israel Adesanya's salary per fight? Let us find out below.

How much does Israel Adesanya make per year?

The New Zealand boxer signed a new contract with UFC in February 2022, making him one of the top-paid athletes in Martial Arts history. So, how much is Israel Adesanya's new contract worth?

Even though Israel Adesanya's contract details are unknown, he is expected to earn around $2m to $3m, plus a pay-per-view percentage for every fight.

He earned $1.7m from his victory over archrival Robert Whittaker at the Toyota Centre in Houston. He has a sponsorship deal with Puma, and served as an ambassador for Stake.com in early 2021. Israel has a net worth of $4 million, earned from his career.

Israel's last fight was against Robert Whittaker at UFC 271 in February 2022. Meanwhile, recent reports have linked him to a fight with Jared Cannonier. However, there is no date set for the bout.

Israel Adesanya's net worth has indeed grown over the years. However, he still has the opportunity to increase his wealth with more fights before he retires. His journey continues to inspire many young boxers who look up to him.

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