UFC 305 has been garnering quite a bit of attention with the heated rivalry between Israel Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis reaching the highest peaks. The headliner fight at the event will be the one that finally settles the ‘real African’ debate. And the top pick? It’s none other than Adesanya. However, the former 2-time middleweight champion received some harsh comments as the differences in his physiques for UFC 293 and UFC 305 were compared on social media.

After ‘The Last Stylebender’ faced an unfortunate defeat at the hands of Sean Strickland, at UFC 293, he decided to take some time off and rest. But resting doesn’t mean complete inactivity for Adesanya. The New Zealander trained hard and went on a journey to get stronger, while Du Plessis took control of the middleweight championship belt. With his newfound strength, Adesanya struck fear in the hearts of not just his opponents, but also his teammates. Talking about Adesanya in July 2024, Dan Hooker said, “He’s like he’s had some time off, he was carrying some injuries. He spent a lot of time just packing on some size and, and like a lot of strength bro. And he’s just, he’s just hitting like a truck man. I can’t even be bothered sparring him. Like, he’s he’s hitting too hard.”

Now, ‘Combatalk’ took to Instagram and released two pictures of Adesanya. On the left, the fight fans could see the former champion holding the belt before the fight against Strickland. On the other hand, Adesanya looked bulkier and stronger right before UFC 305. The caption to the post read, “Adesanya’s change in physique after his break from the sport.”

Needless to say, the fight fans took over the comments section and revealed their thoughts. Let’s see what the fighting community had to say.

Fight fans point at the change in Israel Adesanya’s physique

As soon as the post crossed the threshold of the social media platform, the fans took note of Adesanya’s gynecomastia. It is a medical condition where a male develops a breast. One fan wrote, “Gyno is back.” Meanwhile, another quirky comment read, “Gynobender in full force.” Some of the fight fans thought that this could be the outcome of hormonal dr*gs or PEDs. A comment read, “He’s on the sauce.”

This is not the first time Adesanya has faced steroid accusations. Back in 2021, ‘Stylebender’ told Ariel Helwani that he had a physician check out the visible bump in his chest. The former champion cited his excessive marijuana consumption as a potential reason being the bump.

Fast forward to 2022, he issued a $3 million challenge to anyone who could prove his alleged steroid use. The Kiwi was done taking shots from the likes of Paulo Costa about his gynecomastia. “When you’re great, they talk about ‘Tittygate,’” he said, “They just need to find excuses to take away my greatness. I understand this is what people are supposed to do, so I let them. Look, I will give $3 million to anyone who can ever have concrete evidence that I even know what the f*ck I’m doing with steroids or how to take steroids.”

Many others pointed out that the Nigerian-Kiwi mixed martial artist looked bulkier. After all, Hooker previously declared how intimidated he was by sparring with Adesanya. One comment read, “very clearly bigger, 5-10 pounds heaviwe.” The entire world of mixed martial arts was left in awe with Adesanya’s enhanced muscles.

This move makes sense, considering how Adesanya lost in the UFC for the first time when he punched heavier. He did not bulk up for his fight against Jan Blachowicz for the light heavyweight title. A decision Adesanya should regret in hindsight. The much bigger Polish champion was able to take him down and hold him down to get a decision win. Now, Adesanya has seemingly put on some muscle and will likely hit a lot harder in his bout against the well-set Du Plessis. But is that all in his favor? Some fans disagree.

Some of the fans seemed to believe that the extra muscles could play a major role in the outcome of the fight. One of the fans pointed out how more muscle mass was linked to quicker fatigue. The fan wrote, “More muscles mean he will just gas quicker. He gassed against Strickland.” Another fan cast a shadow of doubt by quoting, “Will the extra muscle work in Izzy’s or DDP’s favor . I can’t wait to find out.” After all, with more muscles, comes slower action, don’t you agree?

What are your thoughts on the change in Adesanya’s physique? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.