Israel Adesanya is packing some serious size a month away from his return to the Octagon.
It’s been nearly a year since we saw ‘The Last Stylebender’ compete. That changes on Saturday, August 17 when the former two-time titleholder looks to kickstart a third reign as middleweight world champion when he challenges reigning 185-pound king, Dricus Du Plessis, at UFC 305 in Perth.
Adesanya has been mostly quiet as he continues to prepare for one of the biggest fights of his career, but his City Kickboxing teammate, Dan Hooker, revealed in an interview that the ‘Stylebender’ is looking more like a heavyweight these days—and hitting like one too.
“Israel is … I can’t even bother sparring him at the moment. Like the way he’s hitting me, I think he’s like 105 kilos,” Hooker told Submission Radio. “I’m just like, f*cking just kick, like, just kick me in the leg. And I was like ‘Ah, get f*cked’. I was just like, nah. Yeah, like that. He’s had some time off. He was carrying some injuries.
“He spent a lot of time just packing on some size and like a lot of strength, bro. And he’s just he’s hitting like a truck man. Yeah. I can’t even be bothered sparring him like he’s hitting too hard. So I can’t wait until he can get out there. So if you think you can just walk in his front door and raid his fridge, I think you’re in for a rude awakening.”
Israel Adesanya Ready to Make History Once Again at UFC 305
Considered by many to be the best middleweight in UFC history—or at least the most active—Israel Adesanya has the chance to once again make history by becoming the only three-time titleholder at 185. To do that, he’ll have to go through Du Plessis, a frenetic fighter who has not lost a fight since 2018.
‘Stillknocks’ captured the middleweight strap via a split decision victory over ex-champ Sean Strickland at UFC 297, four months following Stickland’s lights-out performance against Adesanya.
Adesanya is 13-3 under the UFC banner, his only losses coming against Strickland, longtime rival Alex Pereira, and Jan Blachowicz in a failed bid to become a two-division champion.
Watch Hooker’s full interview below:
