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1
- Whittaker vs. Adesanya
- Israel Adesanya | KO/TKO | Round 2
- 2019 | UFC 243
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π UFC Middleweight Championship β» Main Event βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ The culmination of Israel Adesanya's meteoric rise, his crowning moments, and what a glorious way to do it. From his epic entrance to his brilliant performance to his awesome Paulo Costa call-out, all that in front of the largest attendence in UFC history, in the champion's home country, it just doesn't get any better. And he did it all in just about a year and a half, showing just how special he was and turning him into one of the sport's biggest stars. π GOATscore Performance: [ β₯ 9.5/10 ]
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2
- Gastelum vs. Adesanya
- Israel Adesanya | Decision
- 2019 | UFC 236
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π Interim UFC Middleweight Championship β» Co-Main Event βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ Without a doubt he greatest interim title fight in MMA history, and quite possibly the greatest fight of all time. This fight wasn't even the main event, and honestly, nobody expected it to be the absolute war it turned out to be. Adesanya was in the UFC for just a little over a year, already had 5 wins and now fighting for the interim title. As meteoric a rise as we've ever seen in the octagon, unlike Gastelum, who's rise to the top had been defined by him defying the odds. This was a very intriguing match-up, by far Adesanya's biggest test up to this point, a major step-up in competition against a solid southpaw wrestler with big knockout power. And while many never gave Gastelum much of a chance against the new sensation, much like most of the fights in his career, proved to be much more than just a stepping stone to that new phenom and pushed him to the limits in a war for the ages. He came out with one of the most intense walkouts to the octagon ever, and he brought some heat as well as that Mexican spirit. Adesanya was able to overcome the adversity in remarkable fashion, he showed the heart of a champion and great toughness, something some doubted he had. He didn't just survive, he rose back and put a stamp on it. Very few human beings could ever take the onslaught Gastelum took in that fnal round, just a magnificent display of heart and otherwordly toughness. βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ π’ Round 1: [ β€ 4.0 ] 10-9 Gastelum β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ π’ Round 2: [ β₯ 4.5 ] 10-9 Adesanya β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ π’ Round 3: [ β€ 4.0 ] 10-9 Adesanya β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ π’ Round 4: [ β€ 5.0 ] 10-9 Gastelum β βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ π’ Round 5: [ β₯ 5.0 ] 10-8 Adesanya β ] βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ π’ My Scorecard: [ 48-46 Adesanya β ] βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ π₯ Action: [ β₯ ββββ+ ] βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ π₯ Quality: [ β₯ ββββ+ ] βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ π₯ Competitiveness: [ β€ βββββ ] βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ π₯ Heart/Toughness: [ β₯ βββββ ] βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ π₯ History: [ β₯ ββββ+ ] βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ β
Score: [ β₯ 4.7/5 ] β» π GOATscore: [ 10/10 ]
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3
- Silva vs. Adesanya
- Israel Adesanya | Decision
- 2019 | UFC 234
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3-Round Main Event ~ π° 175.000 PPV Buys ~ π₯ Action: [ β€ ββββ ] // π₯ Quality: [ β₯ ββββ ] // π₯ Competitiveness: [ β€ ββββ ] // π₯ Heart/Toughness: [ β€ βββ+ ] // π₯ History: [ β₯ ββββ ] // β
Score: [ β€ 3.9/5 ] // β GOATscore: [ β₯ 8.5/10 ] ~ This is not your typical great fight; it's not a war with dramatic shifts of momentum, nor a huge display of heart and toughness, there's no blood and stuffs, it's not even that much of an high-paced fight or anything, but hell is it fun. A clash of generations, the passing of the torch; an aging, returning legend fighting for the first time in 2 years, sent to purgatory against a young phenom having to face his idol. From a storytelling standpoint, this was pretty much perfect, there was a lot of emotions and genuine respect from both men, and it was beautiful to watch. Unfortunately, many expected a violent end to a legendary career for Anderson Silva, and it was a big concern coming into this fight. But the magic of The Spider prevailed and it resulted in a whole lot of fun. Izzy and Anderson put on one hell of a show, and I enjoyed every second of it. Anderson Silva went back to his old roots, hands down, dancing, dodging, throwing wild stuffs, inviting his opponent against the fence... And Adesanya made sure he would have an answer to all of that, and it gave us some iconic moments. It was not the big coming out party for Adesanya, you could consider his performance a bit disappointing considering what people expected... It was not the annihilation many predicted, and for that I am infinitely grateful as it gave us this fight and it was a marvel to watch, . The show of love and respect post-fight almost brought me to tears, the beauty of mixed martial arts on full display, and a fight that further moved Izzy closer to the top. βΆ Round 1: [ β€ 4.0 ] (10-9 Adesanya β) ~ βΆ Round 2: [ β€ 3.5 ] (10-9 Adesanya*) ~ βΆ Round 3: [ β₯ 3.5 ] (10-9 Adesanya β) ~ π’ My Scorecard: [ 30-27 Adesanya β ]
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4
- Brunson vs. Adesanya
- Israel Adesanya | KO/TKO | Round 1
- 2018 | UFC 230
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3-Round Middleweight Fight ~ Adesanya completes his breakout year with his fourth UFC fight since his debut just 10 months prior with a masterful performance over veteran Derek Brunson. Brunson was supposed to be the biggest test of his young MMA career, and he absolutely was on paper, a very solid wrestler with knockout power, the kind many thought would be Izzy's kryptonite. But it only made Izzy's performance all the more impressive, showcasing his elite striking, but most importantly his outstanding takedown defense, showing the man was only getting better, and doing it at a scary pace. β
GOATscore Performance: [ β₯ 9.0/10 ]
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5
- Tavares vs. Adesanya
- Israel Adesanya | Decision
- 2018 | The Ultimate Fighter 27 Finale
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5-Round Middleweight Main Event ~ Still warming up (his words not mine), Adesanya gets his third UFC fight in just 5 months, this time having the opportunity to main event a fairly minor TUF card but against a top 10 middleweight in Brad Tavares. This served as a great test for Izzy as he was able to go the full 5 rounds and dominate a tough wrestler in a complete shut out that earned him a rare Performance of the NIght for a decision win. ~ β
GOATscore Performance: [ β₯ 8.5/10 ]
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6
- Wilkinson vs. Adesanya
- Israel Adesanya | KO/TKO | Round 2
- 2018 | UFC 221
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3-Round Middleweight Fight ~ For his highly anticipated UFC debut, Adesanya, presented as a striking wizard, was set to fight a familiar face, a man he was scheduled to fight after defeating Melvin Guillard and winning the AFC Middleweight Championship. Wilkinson was the former AFC Middleweight Champion, so it was quite a perfect match-up for Izzy's debut. After a grueling first round that saw Wilkinson attempt 10 takedowns and completing just 2 which Izzy shook off real quick, Izzy came in the second putting more pressure and started to slowly break an overmatched Wilkinson on the feet, further busting his nose until he couldn't take it anymore. Not the perfect debut according to him, but impressive nonetheless, earning him the Performance of the Night bonus and putting the division on notice with a great post-fight interview. ~ β
GOATscore Performance: [ β₯ 8.0/10 ]
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7
- Adesanya vs. Guillard
- Israel Adesanya | KO/TKO | Round 1
- 2017 | Australian FC 20
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AFC Middleweight Championship ~ Coming off the lone knockout loss of his career in a kickboxing fight against all-time great kickboxer Alex Pereira at Glory of Heroes 7, in Brazil earlier that year (2017), Adesanya needed a quick turnaround. He decided to shift his full focus on MMA and this fight against MMA veteran Melvin Guillard was a great opportunity to do so. Up to this point, this was the biggest fight of his young MMA career, and Izzy made the most out of it by totally dominating the fight in all aspects, displaying his outstanding striking but also his great takedown defense and even pulling out a beautiful hip toss right into full mount. A strong display that definitely put the UFC on notice. β
GOATscore Performance: [ β₯ 8.0/10 ]
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8
- Adesanya vs. Vettori
- Israel Adesanya | Decision
- 2018 | UFC on FOX 29
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3-Round Middleweight Fight ~ Eager to rise up the ranks right away, Adesanya gets another fight just 2 months after his UFC debut. And whlle this was not the most satisfying performance for Izzy, this was truly the first time he was tested in an MMA fight. He dominated the striking of course, but Vettori was able to take him down and keep him down a bit, which resulted in Izzy losing arguably the first round of his career in round 3. Still, as he said post-fight, visibly disappointed, "a win is a win", and he set his focus on what's next by asking for another quick turn around fight. β
GOATscore Performance: [ β₯ 7.0/10 ]