via Getty
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 10: (R-L) Israel Adesanya of New Zealand taunts Anderson Silva of Brazil in their middleweight bout during the UFC 234 at Rod Laver Arena on February 10, 2019 in the Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
via Getty
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 10: (R-L) Israel Adesanya of New Zealand taunts Anderson Silva of Brazil in their middleweight bout during the UFC 234 at Rod Laver Arena on February 10, 2019 in the Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Israel Adesanya is the current undisputed middleweight champion of the world. ‘The Last Style Bender’ has had an unblemished record at 185-pounds since he joined the UFC and quickly became one of the biggest names in the promotion. What makes him a fan favorite in the UFC is the fact that he is unapologetically himself outside the octagon and is a ruthless fighter inside it.
Adesanya was highly touted coming into the UFC, given his kickboxing record. ‘The Last Style Bender’ lived up to that hype and much more and is currently considered one of the most technically gifted strikers on the roster.
Ahead of his fight against Marvin Vettori at UFC 263, we take a close look at the fighting style of Adesanya.
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Is Israel Adesanya the best striker in the UFC?
One of the most glaring advantages in Adesanya’s game is his frame. ‘The Lasy Style Bender’ stands at 6’4”.
He has a massive reach of 80-inches which, in most cases, is far superior to his opponents. For example, he will have a six-inch reach advantage over Vettori going into their fight.
When it comes to his fighting stance, Adesanya is comfortable in both southpaw and orthodox. He often switches stances multiple times during the fights which keeps his opponents guessing. Adesanya also uses leg kicks brilliantly.The most recent example of that would be his fight against Paulo Costa. Adesanya maintained the distance by throwing leg kick after kick, which severely compromised Costa’s ability to move around. He is a long rangy individual and makes full use of that in all his fights.
When it comes to striking, there are not too many people in the UFC that are better than ‘The Last Style Bender’. Adesanya is not a volume puncher and throws his shots selectively. But when he does, it lands on its intended target.
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In his own words, ‘I don’t throw and hope, I aim and fire’.
That sums up all you need to know about Adesanya’s approach to a fight.
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‘The Last Syle Bender’ has averaged a mind-boggling 3.95 significant strikes per minute while absorbing a mere 2.63 in return. What do you make of Israel Adesanya’s effective fighting style? Do you think he is the best striker in the UFC? Let us know in the comments below!
