The Takedown | Israel Adesanya can become UFC pound-for-pound No 1 – and undisputed MMA ‘GOAT’ – in 2021
- ‘The Last Stylebender’ bids for ‘champ champ’ status against UFC light heavyweight king Jan Blachowicz in March
- If successful, a superfight with Jon Jones at heavyweight – and a shot at MMA immortality – could await Adesanya
Neutralising light heavyweight champ Jan Blachowicz’s “legendary Polish power” at UFC 259 in March is, of course, a necessary first step and no easy feat.
But undefeated UFC middleweight king Israel Adesanya – fresh off winning his second consecutive Fighter of the Year gong at the 2020 World MMA Awards – is perfectly positioned to take the pound-for-pound reins by the end of this year.
It’s been quite the rise for the 31-year-old Kiwi-Nigerian (20-0), who made easy work of chiselled contender Paulo Costa via second-round TKO at UFC 253 last September for his second title defence.
Adesanya went from an Octagon debut on a Yoel Romero undercard in 2018, to becoming the division’s interim title-holder a year later, to winning the undisputed belt from Robert Whittaker via a devastating second-round TKO in October 2019, to successfully defending it against the very same Romero last March.
He has won six performance-of-the-night accolades in seven fights, and his growing star power was highlighted when he crossed the MMA-boxing divide to appear as a ring analyst for Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jnr’s nostalgic exhibition fight in December.