Israel Adesanya Shows Off Jacked Body Ahead of UFC 259

Israel Adesanya is doing something that no UFC middleweight champion has done before. He is going to become the first champion from the 185-pound division to try to win the light heavyweight championship. Izzy will embark on this journey against Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259, as the pair will headline the event.

Izzy has been considered a relatively lean middleweight. While he has a massive frame, he wasn’t known to be the most muscular. On the contrary, many remarked at him as too skinny for the division.

However, he beat Yoel Romero and Paulo Costa to put doubts about his size at the division to rest. He is moving up instead of moving down, and his body tells the full story.

Adesanya isn’t popping with muscles as many would expect, but he does look much heavier ahead of this fight. He will need that weight on his side as he takes on Jan, who is possibly one of the bigger 205-pound fighters in the UFC right now.

Israel Adesanya: Is a title at light heavyweight possible?

Israel Adesanya and his rise in the UFC is still crazy to think about. He made his UFC debut just three years ago and has already ascended to the top of the pound-for-pound rankings. A win here would possibly give him a top-three berth if Khabib Nurmagomedov actually retires. However, is it going to be that simple?

This is Blachowicz’s first title defense since he won the belt at UFC 253, a card that Adesanya headlined. There is a lot of pressure on the Pole to prove that he genuinely can fight off the elite in this division to make a consistent reign as champion. Beating Izzy for his first title defense would be a hell of a statement.

READ MORE: Is Israel Adesanya vs Jan Blachowicz a One-Sided Matchup?

For now, it looks like Izzy is preparing hard for this fight. His legacy is on the line, not to mention his unbeaten record in MMA. Another win will help ‘the Last Stylebender’ slowly ascend to the tier of UFC greats, especially if he wins a second title at UFC 259.