One of the most dominant entities in combat sports today, Israel Adesanya has proven to be one of the most valuable as well.
A former kickboxing star, Adesanya made his MMA debut in 2012. He joined the UFC in 2018 and has gone 11-1 with the promotion. In 2019, Adesanya beat Kelvin Gastelum to win the interim UFC middleweight title. A few months later, "The Last Stylebender" beat Robert Whittaker to become the one true middleweight champion.
Adesanya has defended the title four times, his last bout being a unanimous decision win against the former champion in Whittaker at UFC 271. His next defense will come at UFC 276 against Jared Cannonier.
The Sporting News looks into how Adesanya has accumulated his fortune and where he stands among the wealthiest and most influential athletes in the world.
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Israel Adesanya's net worth: How much does Adesanya make?
Per Celebrity Net Worth, Adesanya is worth about $4 million.
Comparing him to other stars in the UFC, Jon Jones has a net worth of about $3 million, while Francis Ngannou has a net worth of $5 million. Conor McGregor has a net worth of $200 million.
Israel Adesanya's career earnings
Per The Sports Daily, Adesanya has a career earnings total of about $3,910,500.
In his UFC debut in 2018, Adesanya earned about $153,000. When he fought Anderson Silva at UFC 234 in 2019, Adesanya reportedly earned about $178,000. When he beat Robert Whittaker for the UFC middleweight title at UFC 243, Adesanya earned $490,000. In his last fight in February, facing Whittaker in a rematch, Adesanya earned about $642,000.
All of this includes bonuses and other incentives.
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Israel Adesanya’s endorsements
In 2020, Adesanya became the first MMA star to have Puma as a sponsor. He has served as an ambassador for Stake.com as well. A big gamer, Adesanya has also partnered with Call of Duty and Engage for a limited edition collection.
Israel Adesanya’s social media influence
Adesanya is quite active on social media and has managed to gain a huge following. He has over 6.4 million followers on Instagram, 2 million followers on Facebook, and 1.2 million followers on Twitter.
On YouTube, Adesanya reviews UFC PPV events and provides unique content. He has over 767k subscribers.
Israel Adesanya charities
During the early start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Adesanya donated PPE equipment to those who needed at Lagos State. Keeping to himself, Adesanya told GQ he is a frequent donator to charities.
“I do a lot for charity, but I don't normally broadcast it cause I feel like that's kind of disingenuous when you do,” Adesanya stated. “You're doing things for likes or for press, not really doing it from the heart for love.”
