Israel Adesanya kept hold of his UFC Middleweight title against Yoel Romero (Credit: UFC)
Israel Adesanya has a nickname that stands out from the rest in the UFC
Israel Adesanya made his UFC debut in February 2018. The Nigerian quickly rose through the ranks, and became the middleweight champion, in the very next year. He clinched the belt after defeating Robert Whittaker at UFC 243 in October 2019.
Known for his elite striking and precision, he hardly put a foot wrong in his quest to become the middleweight king.
He is talented off-court as well. Had he not been an MMA fighter, he very well would have become a dancer. He even shows his slick moves during his UFC entrances.
And, with most of the fighters opting for usual or common nicknames, Adesanya’s nickname is something that is unique and stands out from the rest. He is known as ‘The Last Stylebender’.
So, where did the reigning king of the middleweight division get his nickname from?
Adesanya is known for the unbelievable love he has towards anime. He has a ton of anime tattoos ranging from Naruto to Avatar.
Even during face-offs, fights, post-fight celebrations, he can be seen using a lot of anime references.
His nickname ‘Last Stylebender’ is a reference to the anime – Avatar: The Last Airbender. The anime features a character called Aang who has the ability to manipulate air, and use it to his advantage.
While bending the five elements of Earth, as in the anime Avatar is beyond reality, Adesanya lives up to his nickname by being the one who bends fighting styles.
The Nigerian claims that he can blur the lines between reality and fantasy.
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