WATCH: Israel Adesanya draws inspiration from ‘GOAT’ Muhammad Ali ahead of UFC 287 grudge match

Israel Adesanya x Muhammad Ali, Adesanya says he draws inspiration to fuel himself and more...

WATCH: Israel Adesanya draws inspiration from ‘GOAT’ Muhammad Ali ahead of UFC 287 grudge match

A competitive mixed martial artist, kickboxer, and former boxer from New Zealand named Israel Adesanya has won numerous titles in each of these sports. He is a former UFC Middleweight Champion and currently fights in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as a mixed martial artist.

At UFC 281 in November 2022, Adesanya fought Alex Pereira, who had previously defeated him twice in kickboxing. Adesanya suffered his first defeat at middleweight when he was technically knocked out in the fifth round of the match.

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At UFC 287, Andesanya and Pereira will square off once more for the UFC Middleweight Championship. Prior to that, Israel Adesanya draws inspiration from Muhammad Ali to release a new clothing collection involving the legendary boxer. The UFC fighter takes to Twitter to promote the video. Engage is Israel Adesanya’s global fight wear brand.

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Related: Was Israel Adesanya ever a kickboxing champion?

Israel Adesanya takes inspiration from Muhammad Ali

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(Image source: Zuffa LLC)

Despite losing to him last year, Israel Adesanya is a small favorite over Alex Pereira in their rematch at UFC 287. Izzy admits that this surprises him and shows that the oddsmakers in Las Vegas may know a thing or two about fighting.

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Israel Adesanya was asked whether he saw a lot of similarities between himself and Muhammad Ali to which Adesanya responds, “ I won’t say I do see a comparison but there are certain things I take inspiration from his life that I draw inspiration from in my situation and I use it to fuel me.“

Israel Adesanya will face Alex Pereira in a rematch at UFC 287 this April. Adesanya holds a record of 23-2 while Pereira sits at 7-1. He is the current UFC Middleweight Champion and will defend his title. He has already defeated Israel Adesanya three times prior to this match and looks to do the same this time.

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