Israel Adesanya knocked out three men in one night as an 80-fight kickboxer before joining UFC
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Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has been around for so long in MMA that it’s easy to forget he had a long and illustrious career as a professional kickboxer.
Adesanya gears up for his first non-title UFC fight since 2019 when he faces Nassourdine Imavov in the main event of UFC Saudi Arabia on February 1. While it’s ‘Stylebender’s’ 29th professional MMA fight, it’s his 116th professional combat sports appearance.
The Nigerian-Kiwi striker maintains a 105-10 record across MMA, kickboxing, and boxing. While his six consecutive middleweight title defenses are impressive, so are his kickboxing accolades, which include winning several one-night tournaments.
When Israel Adesanya knocked out three fighters in one night to win kickboxing championship
It’s worth mentioning that Adesanya won the King in the Ring tournament championship three times in two weight categories: Cruiserweight and heavyweight. We’ll focus on his King in the Ring 86 victory, concluding with three knockouts in one sitting for the future UFC champion.
In April 2015, Adesanya entered the ‘Cruiserweights II’ tournament at King in the Ring 86, where he looked to add three more names to his then-22-2 kickboxing resume. At the time, Adesanya’s two defeats were at the hands of Filip Verlinden and Simon Marcus, who were highly accomplished fighters.
‘Izzy’ came up against fellow Kiwis Kim Loudon, Mark Timms, and Pati Afoa, all of whom were champions in Muay Thai, kickboxing, or karate. Adesanya defeated all three through KO and TKO. In the final, Adesanya sparked Afoa with a mean right cross. Lawrence Kenshin on YouTube provides a great breakdown of Adesanya’s tournament achievements.
From August 30, 2014, to October 31, 2015, Adesanya defeated 13 fighters, nine in three nights, making for one of his finest combat sports achievements.
Israel Adesanya’s teammates competed in King in the Ring
City Kickboxing products Carlos Ulberg, Navajo Stirling, Dan Hooker, and Brad Riddell are all notable names who have competed in King in the Ring.
Ulberg won the tournament twice, in 2017 and 2019, in the 100kg and 92kg brackets, respectively. ‘Black Jag’ now takes on Jan Blachowicz at UFC London on March 22, making a case for UFC light heavyweight title contention with a victory.
Hooker also has a high-profile fight against Justin Gaethje booked for UFC 313. ‘The Hangman’ won the King in the Ring ’72MAX’ tournament in 2013, though records are incomplete. His fights are available on the King in the Ring YouTube channel.
