230-pound Israel Adesanya is “hitting like a truck” in sparring says Dan Hooker while previewing teammate’s Dricus du Plessis fight at UFC 305

Israel Adesanya appears to have used his recent hiatus from MMA to full effect as according to teammate Dan Hooker, he is packing more power than ever before. 'The Hangman' recently shed light on the former champion's significant increase in size ahead of his title clash with Dricus du Plessis.

The pair will do battle for the middleweight title in the main event of UFC 305. It will be Adesanya's first time in the octagon since losing his title unexpectedly to Sean Strickland at UFC 293.

Following his loss to Strickland, 'The Last Stylebender' declared he would be taking an extended break from fighting. He hinted at needing to take care of several long-term injuries, as well as a much needed break after an impressive run in which he was highly active and fought consistently.

During a recent interview with Submission Radio, Hooker revealed that his City Kickboxing teammate weighs roughly 230 pounds. He said:

"I can't even be bothered sparring [Adesanya] at the moment. I think he's like 105 kilos [230 pounds]. He just kicked me in the leg and I was like, 'Get f**ked.' He's had some time off. He was carrying some injuries, he's still a lot of time just packing on some size and a lot of strength. He's hitting like a truck."

He continued:

"He's hitting too hard. I can't 'til he can get out there, if you think you can just walk in his front door and raid his fridge, I think you're in for a rude awakening."

Watch Dan Hooker discuss Israel Adesanya below (17:55):

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Robert Whittaker predicts Dricus du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya

Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya are set to square off in a grudge match at UFC 305 for the middleweight title.

There is evident tension between the pair heading into their title clash, with Du Plessis' comments about wanting to be the first "real African champion" provoking a fiery response from 'The Last Stylebender.'

Robert Whittaker, a man who suffered defeats against both Adesanya and 'Stillknocks,' recently gave his prediction on the UFC 305 headliner during an interview with The Sporting News. He said:

"This suits Dricus quite well. I think the performance we saw displayed in his last fight, that level of pressure he put on Sean Strickland, he’ll use to great effect against Israel Adesanya... I’m going to lean towards Dricus for this one."