Before securing his memorable victory against Robert Whittaker to become the undisputed UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya executed one of the most iconic walkouts in UFC history.
The walkout, which took place in Melbourne, Australia, involved a brief choreographed dance sequence at the entrance before Adesanya proceeded to the octagon. He went on to defeat Whittaker via brutal knockout, unifying the UFC’s 185-pound title.
Over five years later, “The Last Stylebender” shared details about the genesis of the dance and walkout on the Our Yeah podcast.
“This was just for fun,” Adesanya stated. “For me, I enjoyed doing this because I prepped the night before this walkout. So, going to bed, I had the replay of the walkout, the practice, in my phone, and I was like, ‘F*ck, this is going to look cool as f*ck’ as I fell asleep.”
He added that focusing on the walkout preparation alleviated any concerns about the upcoming fight. “So I wasn’t worried about the fight. We already did the work,” Adesanya recalled.
In the fight itself, Adesanya nearly stopped Whittaker in the first round. However, he finished the job in Round 2, landing a powerful left hook to defeat “The Reaper” and earn what was, at the time, the biggest win of his career.
Presently, Adesanya is navigating a challenging period in his career, having suffered three consecutive losses and four defeats in his last five bouts. His recent defeats include a stoppage loss to Nasourdine Imavov in the main event of UFC Saudi Arabia earlier this year, and a decision loss to current middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 305 this past August.
