“It’s a Step in the Right Direction”- Israel Adesanya Details His Role in Netflix’s Anime Series Baki

Israel Adesanya is easily one of the most popular fighters in the UFC. However, mixed martial arts is not the only thing he is passionate about. Those who follow him regularly are aware of his unending love for anime. Even his nickname “The Last Stylebender” is based on an anime series- Avatar: The Last Airbender.

From wearing an Akatsuki overcoat to a fight to writing his opponent’s name in the Death Note, “The Last Stylebender” never misses a chance to exhibit his anime love.

Finally, this love for Anime has landed the Kickboxer a role in the new Netflix anime series, Baki. The Nigerian Kickboxer was part of a promotional interview with AfricaOnNetflix, where he revealed his role in the anime series.

“I am Israel Adesanya, UFC middleweight champion of the world, and I play Chamomile Lessen in Baki. Now streaming on Netflix.”

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When asked about what this means to him, he told Netflix Anime, “It’s a step in the right direction… It’s my foot in the door.”

He continued, “You know Andy Serkis? He does a lot of motion capture work… I look forward to jumping into that world a bit when I am done with whooping a** around the world.”

Israel Adesanya speaks about how he incorporates anime into his fights

In the same conversation, “The Last Stylebender” revealed there were often times where he got depressed but anime came to his rescue. He revealed that he would often binge-watch episodes in between his fights.

He said, “During fight week, we have a lot of time. I binge-watch some episodes to kinda like, put myself in the mood. But that fight, the Costa fight, I was feeling quite dark… cause everyone wrote me off for my fight before. Cause they said I was boring, and I was a boring fighter. I was like ‘What.’… So, yeah, the Akatsuki shirt just happened… But I felt like I am on some Deidara s**t. You are gonna see my art and you are gonna appreciate it.”

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Adesanya is no stranger to anime-themed entrances. In his time away from the octagon, we are sure he may have watched many more episodes and come up with an amazing entrance for his next fight. ‘The Last Stylebender’ will defend his belt against Robert Whittaker at UFC 271 in February.

Are you hyped for Israel Adesanya’s Netflix debut? What do you make of his love for anime? Tell us below in the comments.