Israel Adesanya is undoubtedly one of the biggest names in the sport. In just two years, the Nigerian-born mixed martial artist has made a name for himself in the UFC. ‘Izzy’ has experienced a meteoric rise in the promotion since his debut win over Rob Wilkinson. 

Over the years, he has established himself as one of the finest strikers, not only in his division but in the entire UFC roster. His excellent kickboxing, along with his immaculate striking, has garnered praise from fans and pundits alike. 

However, behind almost every successful fighter is a group of extremely talented master tacticians who carefully mold their fighter into the best version of themselves. The same applies to Adesanya.

So, who is the man behind Israel Adesanya, the martial artist?

Israel Adesanya and the men who mold him

Eugene Bareman and Israel Adesanya have put City Kickboxing on the MMA map. In a span of two years, the pair have made it one of the best gyms for the sport. The duo has made Oceania a hotbed for MMA talent. 

However, the relationship between the two did not get off to the best start. Bareman was asked to coach Adesanya on short notice for an amateur fight, which he reluctantly agreed to. Israel went on to lose the fight. 

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However, Adesanya kept on showing up at the gym, insistent on getting better. Eugene admittedly tried to convince Adesanya to go and train elsewhere. In his words, “I think most coaches will agree with me. You don’t want to have too much to do when it comes to coaching or cornering someone that you’ve never had anything to do with.”

In addition to Adesanya, Bareman coaches multiple fighters in the UFC. Most notably, he coached featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, Dan Hooker, and Kai-Kara France. He is one of the very few coaches to have trained multiple world champions. 

Bareman has orchestrated Adesanya’s growth from an amateur with a dream to a champion with a belt. At UFC 253, the duo will aim to defend their title for the second time, and bring the belt back to City Kickboxing in Auckland, New Zealand.