Kai-Kara France Next on the list is Kai-Kara France who is a flyweight fighter who has gained popularity with his high energy and entertaining fighting style. [44] He went on to amass an 80 record, fighting mostly in Oceanian and Chinese circuits. He won his first three fights in the UFC, too, proving he was ready to "stand and bang" with the big boys of the Octagon. Editor's Picks UFC 234: Whittaker vs. Gastelum -- full coverage and analysis, how to watch [106][107], Before taking up fighting, Adesanya regularly competed in dance competitions across New Zealand. UFC Top 10 fighters from Australia, New Zealand - ESPN Here are the top 5 fighters from Australia & New Zealand in 2022: #5. Favorite grappling technique: I like choking people and whispering sweet nothings in their ear as they fall asleep. The UFC Featherweight Champion is currently on a 20-fight win streak and has utterly dominated the 145-pound division since he arrived in the UFC. A rugby league side made up of Australian and New Zealand UFC fighters [65] After a knockdown in last second of the first round, Adesanya won the fight via knockout in the second round. Most Famous UFC Fighters of All Time - Top 20 Fighters UFC: Three Kiwi fighters next in line for a shot in MMA's - Stuff 4. def. [91] Adesanya won the fight and title via knockout in the second round. [47] He won the fight via technical knockout in the second round. Robert Whittaker the winner 899 'The Reaper' did end up losing his title to Adesanya in 2019, but. Jung Chan-sung at UFC 273 on Apr 9, 2022 Metering and billing coordinator for a gas line company (hated it). The Scorecard | UFC 287: Pereira vs Adesanya 2, Five Israel Adesanya Fights To Watch Before UFC 287, Israel Adesanya Career Highlights: Title Wins To Best Fights, Israel Adesanya Finds Role Of The Hunter 'Tantalizing', Rankings Repercussions | UFC 287: Pereira vs Adesanya 2. [72] This marked the first time two male unbeaten mixed martial artists met in a title fight since 2009. UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones will tour Australia next month. It's with good reason, too, as Australia and New Zealand boast some of the best talent in the UFC. That fight ended in a third-round loss on a stacked card for UFC 225 in Chicago, Anderson suffering a unanimous decision defeat by the first woman to take down Ronda Rousey. He returned to MMA in August 2015, when he won the fight against Song Kenan by TKO. It promises to be a big year for the Australian. is the average number of knockdowns per 15 Minutes window. [11], Adesanya was born in Lagos, Nigeria, the eldest of five children. Starting with the most . $2,400 fine and $448.25 in prosecution fees. In kickboxing, he is a former Glory Middleweight Championship title challenger. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. [6][7], Adesanya is multilingual. [56] This win earned him the Performance of the Night award for a third time. Israel Adesanya - Wikipedia ", "MMA Junkie's 2019 'Fight of the Year': Israel Adesanya vs. Kelvin Gastelum", "MMA Junkie's 2019 'Male Fighter of the Year': Israel Adesanya continues mind-blowing run", "MMA Fighting's 2018 Breakthrough Fighter of the Year: Israel Adesanya", "MMA Fighting's 2019 Fight of the Year: Israel Adesanya vs. Kelvin Gastelum", "MMA Fighting's 2019 Fighter of the Year: Israel Adesanya", "Adesanya is the 2018 Combat Press Breakout Fighter of the Year", "Adesanya is the 2019 Combat Press Fighter of the Year", "Adesanya-Gastelum is the 2019 Combat Press Fight of the Year", "MMA 2019 Year in Review: Fighter of the Year", "MMA 2019 Year in Review: Fight of the Year", "MMA DNA UFC Awards 2018: De Uitslagen!!! As one of the Top 10 Best Female UFC Fighters 2022, the American professional MMA fighter is the two-time and current UFC Women's Strawweight World Champion. "[103][104][105], On 16 November 2022, Adesanya was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City for the possession of brass knuckles. When will Jamahal Hill defend? The UFC rankings are rated by a panel made up of MMA media members. Top 10 UFC Women's Fighters In 2022 [51], Adesanya then faced Brad Tavares on 6 July 2018, at The Ultimate Fighter 27 Finale. [114], Adesanya endorsed a "yes" vote in the 2020 New Zealand cannabis referendum. 10. Alexander Volkanovski's last five fights have been against Chad Mendes, Jose Aldo, Max Holloway (twice), and Brian Ortega. [check quotation syntax][check quotation syntax] Barboza had previously locked horns with, and lost to, division champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, so there was no disgrace in the Kiwi's third-round KO loss in Milwaukee. [citation needed]. In the second fight of the tournament, Adesanya won a majority decision against Lance Bryant. Robert Whittaker, or "The Reaper", is the second-best Australian UFC fighter of all time. 2838 Athletes Asjabharan _ Bantamweight 0-0-0 (W-L-D) Asjabharan _ Athlete Profile Yibugele - Featherweight 0-0-0 (W-L-D) Yibugele - Athlete Profile Angga - Featherweight 0-1-0 (W-L-D) Angga -. . [67], Adesanya next faced three-time UFC title challenger Yoel Romero on 7 March 2020 UFC 248. But a unanimous decision victory over American Elias Garcia was just the latest of his forays into MMA, with the Aucklander having pursued his dream for the best part of a decade throughout Asia-Pacific in various cage-fighting tournaments. Megan Anderson at UFC 259 on Mar 6, 2021. He scored technical knockouts of Kim Loudon and Mark Timms in the quarterfinal and semifinal bouts respectively, before winning the tournament for the second time with a first-round knockout of Pati Afoa. Max Holloway at UFC 251 on Jul 12, 2020 The first UFC champion from either Australia or New Zealand, Whittaker is among Dana White's favourite athletes after he first emerged via The Smashes - a made-for-television special that pitted Australian and English fighters against each other. [109][110], Adesanya is a fan of anime and has stated he would like to start an anime production company after retiring from fighting. [26][27][28] He trains in wrestling under the Romanian New Zealander Andrei Pule. It's one goal ticked off, but it's only the beginning. Max Holloway at UFC 276 on Jul 2, 2022, 1. def. And with three fighters booked to feature on the stacked UFC 259 event, headlined by Israel Adesanya, New Zealand has quickly become the envy of the mixed martial arts world. Israel Adesanya is not happy with the conditions he and his team have been forced to train under.. 5 Current Best UFC Fighters From Australia | Fightful News Due to fight on the UFC on Fox card in mid-December last year, Rose-Clark was forced to withdraw from her bout with Andrea Lee after she was deemed "medically unfit" to enter the Octagon. (Note: These rankings take into account the overall skill level and well-roundedness of each champion, plus the . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. But there's more . As of May 16, 2019, a total of 76 UFC fighters have been sanctioned by USADA since the UFC USADA testing program started.[23]. UFC 234: Whittaker vs. Gastelum -- full coverage and analysis, how to watch, Concreting, KFC: Volkanovski's road to UFC 221. Adesanya, who's black, has been upset with Du Plessis, who's white, since his original comments in March, when he took a shot at Adesanya and former welterweight champ Kamaru Usman. But his ranking did drop back to No.15 as a result, and he now faces a tough road back up the division after an initially successful switch from featherweight in 2017. City Kickboxing: 2019 'Gym of the Year' - MMA Junkie These fighters have either been released from their UFC contracts, or announced their retirement, over the course of the last month. Michael Chandler Manon Fiorot Erin Blanchfield Loopy Godinez Bruno Silva Terrance McKinney Paddy Pimblett Pat Sabatini Up Next Desert Island Fights | Part I If you're trapped on an island and had. I'll be more careful in future with my words. [108] He highlighted his passion for dance in a choreographed walkout at UFC 243. One of three Kiwis on our list, Kara-France also made his UFC debut in Adelaide last year. Key Fighters: Geoff Neal, Ryan Spann, Miles Johns, Uriah Hall, Diego Ferreira, Alex Morono, Alonzo Menifield, Kennedy Nzechukwu, Macy Chiasson, Steven Peterson Elevation Fight Team Location:. Continue with Recommended Cookies. She is the first female fighter in UFC history to ever regain a championship title after losing it. It's with good reason, too, as Australia and New Zealand boast some of the best talent in the UFC. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Knockdown Avg. [61] He won the back-and-forth fight via unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 48-46. Tuivasa's next bout is still to be confirmed, but he did call out Justin Willis after his loss in Adelaide; the American had defeated Mark Hunt earlier on the card. But he then ran into Brazilian legend and former heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos at Fight Night Adelaide, the Australian rocked by a right hand in the second round from which he never recovered. "The Brute" had emerged from Dana White's Tuesday night Contender Series, earning himself a UFC contract with a brutal TKO of Chris Birchler. Dan "The Hangman" Hooker (22-12-0) is a Pro MMA Fighter out of Auckland, New Zealand and the #14th ranked Top Lightweight MMA fighter. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. 'I don't fake fight': UFC fighters and coaches have mixed - ESPN [83], A rematch between Adesanya and Robert Whittaker for the UFC Middleweight Championship took place on 12 February 2022 at UFC 271. The UFC middleweight champion promised to never fight on New Zealand soil in consequence of what he deems unfair treatment from the New Zealand government and the COVID-19 restrictions of the "Managed Isolation and Quarantine" system. He faces his biggest test to date in Melbourne this Sunday in an absolute legend of the sport, Anderson Silva, but he is determined to take the Brazilian down and earn the ultimate trans-Tasman contest with Robert Whittaker. [39][40][41], His last kickboxing fight, before transitioning to mixed martial arts, was a rematch with Alex Pereira at Glory of Heroes 7. New Breed: USA: 16-6-0: 16of 24wins by KO, six in the first round, Stopped UFC vets Song Kenan (2015) and Melvin Guillard (2017), Had reported 75-4 (29 KOs) pro kickboxing record, Origin of nickname Coined from the TV show Avatar.. Pereira won the fight by knockout, after dropping Adesanya with a short left hook in the third round. [57], While initially expected to serve as the co-main event, Adesanya faced former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva on 10 February 2019, in the main event of UFC 234. At UFC 243 Eugene Bareman & his team from City Kickboxing New Zealand will have 3 fighters facing off in the Octagon - 2 of them are the co-main event. [113], In September 2020, he became the first mixed martial arts athlete to sign a sponsorship deal with Puma. [38] He fought Jason Wilnis for the Glory Middleweight championship at Glory 37: Los Angeles. After back-to-back victories in her first two UFC bouts, Rose-Clark then suffered a unanimous decision loss to top-ranked flyweight contender, Jessica Eye, but is set for a strong return in the heavier division. Originally from Nigeria, Adesanya and his family immigrated to New Zealand; a move "The Last Stylebender" has embraced by labelling himself as a "Black Kiwi". Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Takedown defense is the percentage of takedowns attempted against a fighter that do not land. He lost the semifinal bout against Simon Marcus by an extra round split decision. 2. def. Linked to the investigation that began as a result of suspicious betting activity ahead of the Nov. 5 UFC fight between, To be determined by NYAC and NSAC / temporary barred from UFC. Source: nzherald.co.nz After NZ's biggest UFC fighter, Mark Hunt, opened the door, a succession of new, top quality MMA fighters has followed in his footsteps. He won his next six fights, fighting almost exclusively with Wu Lin Feng in China. 2019 was a big year for 30-year old Israel Adesanya. 3. def. [52] Adesanya won the one-sided fight via unanimous decision. [96] He suffered a controversial loss via unanimous decision after he looked to have outpointed Ammann in the quarter-finals. Ranking UFC champions from most to least beatable | theScore.com Required fields are marked *. It is fair to say that fighters from Down Under have a firm grip on the UFC's middleweight division. The flags listed in these tables are in accordance with the Sherdog's website and may not fully or accurately represent the full citizenship of the peoples listed. [22], Following high school graduation, Adesanya enrolled in a Bachelor of Science in Computer Design at the Universal College of Learning in Whanganui. MMA Fighters From New Zealand | Tapology Conor McGregor. The fighters in this section have either signed with the UFC but yet to be debuted, have recently returned from an announced retirement, or have yet to make their UFC return. Robertson commented "I'm sure Israel understands that, I believe he has deleted the tweet in question. Top 10 Australian & New Zealand UFC Fighters Of All Time Ranking is based on information obtained from the UFC's website. Here's our new list of the current UFC champions ranked from most to least beatable. [112] Adesanya has the image of one of the show's main characters, Toph Beifong, tattooed on his forearm. [78], Adesanya moved up a weight class and faced Jan Bachowicz for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship on 6 March 2021, headlining UFC 259. Updated as of April 25, 2023, after UFC Fight Night: Pavlovich vs. What was your job before you started fighting? UFC on FX 6: Ranking the Best Australian MMA Fighters Which Bellator, Invicta, One and PFL champs could dethrone UFC titleholders? Str. UFC 271 was not only a showcase for Adesanya, but several of his teammates from the City Kickboxing gym in New Zealand, including Mike Mathetha (also known as Blood Diamond) and Carlos. [20] Adesanya was bullied during his high school years[21] and attributes the mistreatment he experienced to his decision to pursue martial arts later in life. The UFC currently uses nine different weight classes. [31] The two of them fought a rematch at Glory of Heroes 3, two years after their first fight, with Adesanya winning a unanimous decision. But that defeat by Brazilian star Mauricio Rua could have easily been different, with Pedro's hopes derailed by an ACL injury. Best Australian MMA Fighters of All Time | Top AUS and NZ Fighters - Ranker Full of bravado but with the skills to match, Adesanya is unbeaten in 15 fights as a professional, going a perfect four for four in the UFC in 2018. In May 2010, Adesanya won the first fight of his seven-fight winning streak, defeating Tim Atonio by unanimous decision. You speak on the mic enough times and you're bound to miss the mark with some bars. A victory over Chad Mendes on December 29 has put him within striking distance of a title shot later in the year, Volkanovski already putting title holder Max Holloway on notice, declaring he "fights a style that [Holloway] hasn't really fought yet." 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