A true force to be reckoned with, Israel Adesanya has taken the UFC by storm. The UFC middleweight champion is considered one of the best in MMA today.
Adesanya is set to defend the title at UFC 293 on September 9 against the unorthodox Sean Strickland. The fight is in Australia, the same place where he defeated Robert Whittaker to win the belt. Another win for "The Last Stylebender" cleans out the division, further cementing his dominant status.
The Sporting News looks into the career of Adesanya and how he has become one of the top athletes in combat sports today.
MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 293 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+
How old is Israel Adesanya?
Adesanya is 34 years old.
At the age of 18, he started training in kickboxing. At 20, Adesanya elected to pursue a career in combat sports. At 21, he began training in MMA in New Zealand. He found his future home in City Kickboxing while he was there.
Israel Adesanya bio, record
Adesanya made his pro kickboxing debut in 2010 following an amateur record of 32-0. Competing for King in the Ring and GLORY, Adesanya is a multi-time tournament winner. The last fight of his kickboxing career was a loss to now-current UFC fighter Alex Pereira.
During his time in kickboxing, Adesanya started to compete in MMA. He made his pro debut in 2012 and also owns a 5-1 record in boxing.
In MMA, Adesanya went 11-0 before debuting for the UFC in 2018. He began his career there by beating Rob Wilkinson, Marvin Vettori, Brad Tavares, Derek Brunson, and MMA idol Anderson Silva. In 2019, Adesanya beat Kelvin Gastelum to win the interim UFC middleweight title. That same year at UFC 243, he beat Robert Whittaker to become the undisputed champion.
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Adesanya initially defended the title against Yoel Romero, Paulo Costa, Vettori, Whittaker (going 2-0 against him), and Jared Cannonier. Going for light heavyweight gold in March 2021, Adesanya suffered his first loss against then-champion Jan Blachowicz. He would suffer his second defeat against Pereira at UFC 281, losing the UFC middleweight title via TKO inside Madison Square Garden.
In his last fight in April 2023, Adesanya beat his rival in Pereira via knockout to win the title back. He now faces Strickland in his second run as champion.
When is UFC 293: Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland?
In the U.S., UFC 293 starts with the early prelims at 6 p.m. ET. The prelims start at 8 p.m. ET while the main card is at 10 p.m. ET. Adesanya and Strickland should make their way to the octagon around 12:15 a.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
| Region | Date | Early Prelims Start Time | Prelims Start Time | Main Card Start Time | Main Event Ring Walks (approx.) |
| USA and Canada (ET) | Sat. September 9 | 6 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. ET | 10 p.m. ET | 12:15 a.m. ET |
| USA and Canada (PT) | Sat. August 9 | 3 p.m. PT | 5 p.m. PT | 7 p.m. PT | 9:15 p.m. PT |
| UK and Ireland | Sun. Sunday 10 | 11 p.m. BST | 1 a.m. BST | 3 a.m. BST | 5:15 a.m. BST |
| Australia | Sun. September 10 | 8 a.m. AEST | 10 a.m. AEST | 12 p.m. AEST | 2:15 p.m. AEST |
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How to watch UFC 293: Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland
| Country | Date | Channel + Live Stream (main card) |
| United States | Sat. September 9 | ESPN+, ESPN PPV |
| Canada | Sat. September 9 | BELL, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus, Eastlink, UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass |
| United Kingdom | Sun. September 10 | TNT Sports |
| Australia | Sun. September 10 | Main Event, Kayo Sports, Fetch TV, UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass |
Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland PPV price: How much does UFC 293 cost?
- $79.99 (current ESPN+ subscribers)
- $124.98 (new subscribers)
In the U.S., the UFC 293 main card is available via pay-per-view on ESPN+, which also requires a subscription. The PPV price for UFC 293 is $79.99 for current subscribers. New subscribers can pay a bundle price of $124.98 for the UFC 293 pay-per-view and an ESPN+ annual subscription, which offers savings of more than 30 percent.
MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 293 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+
| Product | Prices |
|---|---|
| ESPN+ Monthly Subscription | $9.99/month |
| ESPN+ Annual Subscription | $99.99/year |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu Ad-Supported | $12.99/month |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu No-Ads | $19.99/month |
| UFC PPV Standalone | $79.99 each |
| UFC PPV Package (UFC PPV & ESPN+ Annual) | $124.98, then $99.99/year |
| UFC PPV & The Disney Bundle | $79.99, then $12.99/month |
Click here to learn about the different pricing and bundling options with the ESPN+ platform.
UFC 293 fight card
Main card
- Israel Adesanya (c) vs. Sean Strickland for the UFC middleweight title
- Tai Tuivasa vs. Alexander Volkov; Heavyweights
- Manel Kape vs. Felipe dos Santos; Flyweights
- Justin Tafa vs. Austen Lane; Heavyweights
- Tyson Pedro vs. Anton Turkalj; Light Heavyweights
Prelims
- Carlos Ulberg vs. Jung Da-un; Light Heavyweights
- Jamie Mullarkey vs. John Makdessi; Lightweights
- Jack Jenkins vs. Chepe Mariscal; Featherweights
- Nasrat Haqparast vs. Landon Quinones; Lightweights
Early Prelims
- Mike Mathetha vs. Charlie Radtke; Welterweights
- Shane Young vs. Gabriel Miranda; Featherweights
- Kevin Jousset vs. Kiefer Crosbie; Welterweights
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