Israel Adesanya has taken his talents to the anime world.
The UFC Middleweight Champion doesn’t just have a love for fighting, he also has a love for watching anime. In the Octagon, he combines both of his passions to become the flashy and effective striker as we know him today.
‘His Ninja Way’
‘The Last Stylebender’ might not have a microphone on him while punches fly, but Adesanya makes a ton of references to his favorite anime’s inside the cage. From writing on an imaginary ‘Death Note’ before fights to copying a stance from fictional martial artist, Rock Lee, Adesanya knows how to incorporate anime into his MMA bouts.
That’s what you call his ‘ninja way’, for all of the Naruto fans out there.
“I feel like I’ve played a part in the rise of anime in sports over the last few years,” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. “I feel like I have because I express myself authentically… Those who knew about anime, they were like, ‘Damn, this a real ninja.’ It’s what every anime fan tries to emulate.”
From Fighting To Voice Acting
After a multitude of anime moves making it into his UFC highlight reel, it looks like things are starting to come full-circle for Adesanya.
The popular UFC Champion would be offered his first voice-acting role in Netflix’s newest anime, ‘Baki Hanma’. Being a big ‘weeb’ since his childhood, Adesanya took the role in a heartbeat. He will play a character named ‘Chamomile Lessen’ in the series.
“I got offered to play a character in the series and I had to jump on it. For me, voiceover work is my sh*t. I’m good at different accents, different tones, different languages, different vibes. I’m a man of the people. …This was my first dip. My foot in the door, if you will, in voiceover work, and yeah, I had fun.”
‘Baki Hanma’ is a sequel series to Netflix’s ‘Baki’ from 2018. The story behind both shows is directly derived from a Japanese manga called ‘Baki The Grappler’ which focuses on martial arts. The shows are currently streaming and available to watch on Netflix.
