Who did Israel Adesanya lose to as an amateur MMA fighter?

Israel Adesanya had fought in only one amateur MMA bout when he started learning his craft as a pro kickboxer. 'The Last Stylebender' lost his debut bout after taking on Neroni Savaiinaea at Industry of Combat New Zealand back in 2009. Savaiinaea win against Adesanya is his only recorded MMA result, he probably cut his teeth on the unsanctioned MMA circuit a lot.

In 2012, during his kickboxing career, Adesanya was scheduled to compete for a second time as an amateur MMA fighter. However, his bout against Zach Buchanan at Shuriken MMA: Clash of the Continents was canceled before the event.

Watch Israel Adesanya take on Neroni Savaiinaea here:

Since becoming a professional MMA fighter in 2012, 'The Last Stylebender' has only lost once, with Jan Blachowicz beating the Nigerian in a light-heavyweight bout at UFC 259 last year.

Adesanya has an amazing professional record of 23 wins and just one loss despite facing some of the toughest fighters on the UFC roster since joining the organization.

The 33-year-old was attempting to become a two-weight UFC champion when taking on Blachowicz at UFC 259, jumping up to light-heavyweight for the bout. The challenge proved to be too tough for the Nigerian, with Blachowicz utilizing physicality and wrestling to beat 'The Last Stylebender' via unanimous decision.

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Who is Israel Adesanya fighting next?

After losing to Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259, Israel Adesanya has gone on to win his last three UFC bouts. The Nigerian has beaten Marvin Vettori, Robert Whittaker and Jared Cannonier in back-to-back fights. This impressive form has earned 'The Last Stylebender' another tough bout, as he faces his former foe Alex Pereira at UFC 281 in two months' time.

Pereira famously beat the Nigerian twice during their professional kickboxing careers, with the Brazilian winning via knockout in their rematch in 2017. However, the UFC 281 main event will witness the duo colliding under MMA rules.

'Poatan' has much less experience in MMA than his future opponent. Pereira made his professional debut back in 2015 and has only fought five times as a pro. However, since joining the UFC in 2021, the Brazilian has managed to beat Andreas Michailidis, Bruno Silva, and most recently Sean Strickland.

The UFC 281 bout will likely be a kickboxing battle, with neither fighter likely to take the fight to the ground. Alex Pereira's impressive knockout against Strickland is seemingly what earned the Brazilian a title shot, his other two UFC opponents were not what you'd call "title contenders."