UFC 305 Technical Preview: Adesanya needs a return to form

Israel Adesanya has all the tools to reclaim his spot as middleweight champion, but can he be goaded into using them?

Art by Chris Rini

Adesanya as a Challenger

It’s hard to understate just how exciting Israel Adesanya was as a rising contender. He burst onto the scene in 2018, winning four fights in single calendar year and looking increasingly dangerous and skillful in each.

For kickboxing fans, it was a dream come true. It had been a while since we had seen truly elite kickboxers transition successfully to MMA. The coinciding popularity of Pride and K-1 created an easy path for the likes of Mirko Co Cop, Semmy Schilt, and Mark Hunt. But with the decline of these Japanese promotions and the rise of the UFC, the two combat sports became more segregated.

Despite an electrifying run to the title, the string of tepid decision victories that followed steadily soured his reputation. This process of Adesanya losing his status as a must-see commodity went hand-in-hand with a paring down of his offensive game into a more risk-averse, low-kick-heavy strategy that left fans feeling like he could’ve done more even when he was winning.

But then, after three years reigning as the champion of the middleweight division, Adesanya lost his belt to his old kickboxing rival, Alex Pereira.

Being the challenger again seemed to light a fire under him. Adesanya triumphantly returned to form in his rematch against Pereira, looking more aggressive and willing to throw punches in combination. Against his scariest opponent yet, Adesanya showed the most bravery.

Yet it wasn’t a career renaissance. Getting the belt wrapped around his waist seemed to instantly transform Adesanya back into the mindset of a defending champion.

His next fight was supposed to be a routine title defense, but he looked utterly impotent against an aggressive Sean Strickland, who walked him down and snatched away his title.

At UFC 305, Israel Adesanya will be a challenger again. Will we see the safety-first outfighter who wants to squeak out rounds based on a handful of low-kicks, or will the aggression and dynamism that characterized his kickboxing career and rapid rise in MMA be on display again?

And even then, will it matter against the new champion, Dricus Du Plessis?