Israel Adesanya—full name Israel Mobolaji Odunayo Oluwafemi Temitayo Owolabi Adesanya—is a Nigerian-born New Zealand professional fighter. He's known by his nickname, The Last Stylebender, a reference to his favorite anime, Avatar: The Last Airbender. He's a mixed martial artist, kickboxer, and boxer with multiple championships spanning all three disciplines. He has risen in fame while fighting in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), the biggest fighting league in the world, and is recognized as the UFC Middleweight Champion.
Israel Adesanya's net worth is an estimated $6 million. He's one of the most popular UFC fighters in the world at this moment and is quickly rising in the rankings towards being one of the best fighters ever. A notable trash talker, and savvy media personality, he keeps winning over fans whenever he secures a big fight. Keep reading to learn how much he's made from each UFC fight and the brand deals that impact his net worth the most.
Israel Adesanya Early Life and Background
Israel was born in Lagos, Nigeria. He is the oldest of five children. This includes two sisters, named Bolu Adesanya and Deborah Adesanya, and two brothers named Samuel Adesanya and David Adesanya. His father is named Oluwafemi, an accountant, while his mother, Taiwo, is a nurse.
Israel's first foray into fighting was when he joined the after-school Taekwondo program at Chrisland School in Opebi. His mother later removed him after he was injured in the class. He later moved with his family to Ghana. Still, He only lived there for ten months before his parents moved the family to Rotorua, New Zealand, hoping their children would receive higher education. He was uninterested in fighting while in Rotorua boys’ high school. After graduating, Israel attended the Universal College of Learning, obtaining a bachelor of science in computer design.
Israel Adesanya Early Career Wins
His first professional win as an MMA fighter came in 2012, with a TKO (technical knockout) win against James Griffiths. He racked up one more TKO win against John Vake before taking a two-year hiatus from the sport. Many assumed this would be his last fight, stopping what seemed to be a rising fighting career.
He is one of the UFC's biggest draws, with an upcoming fight against Jared Cannonier set to be a large Pay Per View event. He will have plenty more upcoming contests in the future. He is one of the best middleweight in the UFC. He is currently the middleweight champion, after securing the interim UFC middleweight championship on April 13th, 2019, before finally getting the belt on October 6th, 2019. He is currently ranked third in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings, behind Kamaru Usman and Alexander Volkanovski. Israel Adesanya is presently part of the City Kickboxing team.
Israel Adesanya Social Media and Personal Life
Israel's personal Instagram account, @stylebender, has over 6.4 million followers. He also has a personal YouTube account, where he uploads videos of his training, behind the scenes, and other UFC-themed videos. The account has over 792k subscribers.
Israel Adesanya Career Earnings, Numbers, and Fight Outcomes
When deciphering his overall net worth, it's essential to look at the amount he earned for each of his UFC fights throughout his career.
UFC 221 – Feb. 11th, 2018.
Israel was paid $153,500 total in a TKO win versus Rob Wilkinson. The payday included $50,000 to show, $50,000 winner's bonus, $50,000 for the performance of the night, and finally, $3,500 fight week incentive pay.
In UFC on Fox: Gaethje vs. Poirier on Apr. 14th, 2018.
Israel was paid $109,500 in a split decision win versus Marvin Vettori. The payday included $53,000 to show, a $56,000 winner's bonus, and a $3,500 fight week incentive pay.
TUF: Undefeated Finale, on July. 6th, 2018.
Israel was paid $165,000 in a unanimous decision win versus Brad Tavares. This included $56,000 to show, $56,000 winners bonus, $50,000 for the performance of the night, and finally, the #3,500 fight week incentive pay.
UFC 230 – Nov. 3rd, 2018.
Israel was paid $172,000 in a TKO win, fighting Derek Brunson for a 2nd time. This included $59,000 to show, a $59,000 winners bonus, a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus, and a $4,000 fight week incentive pay.
UFC 234 – Feb 9, 2019.
Israel was paid $178,000 in a unanimous decision win versus Anderson Silva. This included $62,000 to show, a $62,000 win bonus, a $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus, and a $4,000 fight week incentive pay.
UFC 236 – Apr 13, 2019 (Notable Pay Increase).
Israel was paid $430,000 in a unanimous decision win versus Kelvin Gastelum. As you can see, this is quite an increase over his previous fights. This bigger payday included a $350,000 show, a $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus, and the $30,000 fight week incentive pay.
UFC 243 – Oct 5, 2019.
Israel was paid $490,000 in a KO win versus Robert Whittaker. This included $400,000 to show, a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus, and the $40,000 fight week incentive pay.
UFC 248 – Mar 7, 2020.
Israel was paid $540,000 in a unanimous decision win versus Yoel Romero. This included $500,000 to show and the $40,000 fight week incentive pay.
UFC 253 – Sept 26, 2020.
Israel was paid $590,000 in a TKO win versus Paulo Costa. This included $500,000 to show, a $50,000 Performance of the Night, and the $40,000 fight week incentive pay.
UFC 259 – Mar 6, 2021.
Israel was paid $540,000 in his first UFC loss via unanimous decision to Jan Blachowicz. This included $500,000 to show and the $40,000 fight week incentive pay).
UFC 263 – Jun 12, 2021.
Israel was paid $542,000 in his second fight versus Marvin Vettori. He won via unanimous decision. This included $500,000 to show and the $42,000 fight week incentive pay.
UFC 271 – Feb 12, 2022.
Israel was paid $642,000 in a unanimous decision win versus Robert Whittaker, his second fight against this opponent and his most recent and biggest payday. This included $600,000 to show and the $42,000 fight week incentive pay.
Israel Adesanya Net Worth
As we see above, a lot of Israel Adesanya's net worth is made from fighting in the UFC. Past this, Israel also makes money by partnering with brands. He was the first UFC fighter to secure a sponsorship deal with the big shoe brand, Puma. He has several minor endorsement deals, including ENGAGE, Peak Milk, Reebok, Kill Cliff Fight Club, EA Sports, Stake.com, Venum, and more
Israel still has a long way to go to reach the top of the wealthiest UFC fighters list, considering Conor McGregor is estimated to be worth around $200 million and was Forbes Highest Paid Athlete in 2021.
