Meaning Behind Israel Adesanya’s Nickname ‘The Last Stylebender’ & Its Anime Connection

Israel Adesanya has captured the attention of millions with his impressive fighting skills and his love for anime. The former 2-time middleweight champ even has tattoos of his favorite anime characters on his body. On top of that, Adesanya has been known to incorporate classic anime moments into his bouts. According to the UFC star, anime has helped him develop his fighting style and boost his mental health to a great degree, and guess what? His nickname also has been derived from anime as well.

Nicknames are one of the key aspects of an MMA fighter. Most of them have one and it has something or the other to do with their life. So ahead of his fight this weekend against Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Saudi Arabia, let’s dive into the story behind Israel Adesanya’s nickname.

Why is Israel Adesanya called ‘The Last Stylebender’?

Israel Adesanya has already confessed that he is a ‘weeaboo,’ and he himself coined the nickname ‘The Last Stylebender’ to show his passion for anime. He once said, “I coined that name from the TV series The Avatar. I just related so much to the message and the characters in the show.” He believed that anime had helped him to have the right mindset and guided him to achieve great success in the realm of MMA. And because of the same reason, he chose a nickname related to it. But why did he shorten his moniker?

Adesanya’s nickname, ‘The Last Stylebender’, became so popular that, out of love, some shortened it to ‘Stylebender.’ Adesanya was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and later moved to New Zealand when he was 10 years old. His parents wanted their kids to have great opportunities in the new country. When the middleweight star reached high school, he developed a passion for Japanese anime and manga. Back then, he was not someone who passionately followed sports.

During his school years, Adesanya found himself a misfit among the other students. This sense of alienation and the bullying that he faced led him to the world of martial arts. Eventually, MMA and anime became his greatest friends. According to Adesanya, his moniker ‘Stylebender’ is a blend of both these worlds, which means everything to him.

But did you know that he had another nickname? It was indeed a name that struck fear in his opponents when he was just an amateur fighting in the regional kickboxing competitions in China.

Israel Adesanya’s old nickname ‘The Black Dragon’

Before becoming ‘The Last Stylebender’, Israel Adesanya was ‘The Black Dragon’ in China. Adesanya has already earned a big name for himself in the world’s biggest MMA promotion. Before stepping into the world of the UFC, the Nigerian fighter was a kickboxer in the regional scene of China.

When ‘Izzy’ was an upcoming combat sports athlete, he went to China in search of greener pastures. However, he faced a terrible time there as the promotions in China treated him like a journeyman for the native fighters to beat up. They also wanted to use Adesanya to boost the image of the Chinese fighters.

With time, those people realized that Adesanya is not someone who can be defeated easily. The UFC star overcame every single obstacle and won numerous fights in China. Later, he was also able to adapt to the culture of the place. Moreover, the 35-year-old also started to speak Chinese. The people from there were highly impressed with the fighting prowess and durability of the Kiwi. Slowly, they began to consider him as one among them.

As a token of respect to the great fighter, they began to call him ‘The Black Dragon.’ At present, the middleweight fighter remembers his kickboxing days in China with pride. “Whenever they had a show, it was Team China vs everyone else, so they gave me a name that means ‘The Black Dragon’ and they kind of put this narrative behind me for the Chinese people to back me up,” Israel Adesanya told ESPN in 2019.

Fans are eagerly waiting to witness Israel Adesanya make a triumphant comeback after back-to-back losses. Will he be able to edge past his French counterpart? Let us know in the comments down below.