Israel Adesanya Reveals His Fear For His September Opponent, Strickland

Nigerian-born Australian kickboxer Israel Adesanya has described Sean Strickland as a “dangerous” man ahead of their UFC 293 on September 10, 2023.

Israel Adesanya who likes to be called ‘The Last Stylebender’ was expected to face Dricus du Plessis after the South African shocked everyone by defeating Robert Whittaker at UFC 290. But owing to injuries, Du Plessis was compelled to withdraw from the competition.

Adesanya claimed that he had to persuade the UFC to schedule a fight with Strickland because they weren’t very interested in doing so.

Ahead of their pay-per-view fight, the Nigerian-Australian fighter analyzed his opponent and concluded that he wouldn’t be taking Strickland lightly.

Even though both men are renowned for their hitting abilities, they have very different strategies for success. Sean Strickland uses a combination of persistent pressure and powerful hitting output to overwhelm opponents, whereas Israel Adesanya is a more sophisticated counter-striker who sets traps for his opponents.

In an interview with Combat TV, the reigning Middleweight champion, Adesanya said, “Threat meter for Strickland, to be honest, skill-wise I’ll give him a three [out of 10]. But a man with nothing to lose and everything to gain is a dangerous man. That’s why I take him seriously, and that’s why I put the work in this camp.”

Meanwhile, Israel Adesanya is set to release his documentary titled ‘Stylebender’ in September.

The 34-year-old fighter released the teaser on Wednesday after it had its global premiere at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival in Manhattan in June.

The trailer shows how Adesanya’s confidence wasn’t always there, even though he was captivating from the time he stepped into the cage.

The Zoe McIntosh film “Stylebender” gives viewers a close-up view of the New Zealand-based MMA champion. According to the official summary, the documentary “delves deeply into an unlikely fighter’s journey and goes beyond the octagon.” The dramatized portrayal of “The Last Stylebender,” who is complex, fascinating, and oftentimes divisive, is explored in the film, along with Israel’s experiences with bullying, masculinity, mental health, and the healing power of dance.

McIntosh and her team were able to film Stylebender for five years and had access to Israel Adesanya and his staff exclusively.

The New Zealand Film Commission, the New Zealand Government’s Screen Production Grant, and the New Zealand Government’s Screen Production Recovery Fund all provided funding for the FluroBlack production to finish the documentary.

After Adesanya’s attempts to get the documentary on Netflix yielded no tangible results, the documentary is now scheduled to open in theaters on September 28, 2023.