Israel Adesanya Has the Flash of Conor McGregor, but Does He Have the Skill?

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You may have heard something about Conor McGregor's little brush with the law last week. When that hand truck crashed through that bus window, and McGregor subsequently took that perp walk, his career plunged even deeper into uncertainty—taking the UFC's star power along with it.

McGregor became the biggest star in MMA history for two reasons: his flamboyance and his skill. The latter often gets lost in the shuffle, particularly given McGregor's long absence from MMA competition and his unsuccessful, if lucrative, boxing match with Floyd Mayweather.

But his fighting talents are just as important. Behind a lethal left hand and laser-precise footwork, McGregor built a 21-3 pro record, with wins over the likes of Eddie Alvarez, Jose Aldo, Max Holloway, Nate Diaz and others. He's the first and only fighter to simultaneously hold UFC titles in two different weight classes. All those style points are nothing without this substance.

It is entirely possible McGregor will return someday. He could return to try and reclaim the lightweight title the UFC stripped from him recently in advance of UFC 223. Khabib Nurmagomedov—the very same guy McGregor was going after when he attacked the bus and injured several people—won the title in the UFC 223 main event. That's as perfect a grudge match as you could ever conceive.

But who knows whether or when that will actually come to fruition? In the meantime, the UFC would be well served to seek new stars. That's where Saturday's UFC on Fox 29 comes into play. Several potential crossover stars will compete on this card, including lightweights Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier. None shines with brighter potential, however, than Israel Adesanya.

Adesanya (12-0) announced his UFC presence with authority in February, when he knocked out Rob Wilkinson in the second round. After the bout, the 28-year-old Nigerian-New Zealander attacked the mic with equal vigor. After "marking his territory" with a mock display of urination in the cage (it was actually more charming than it sounds on paper), Adesanya issued a warning to the middleweight division.

"Middleweights, I'm the new dog in the yard and I just p****d all over this cage," Adesanya told UFC broadcaster Jon Anik in the cage after the fight. 

A few days later, in speaking with MMA Junkie, Adesanya said “no one’s really calling me out or saying anything yet. I know these boys, they’re just treating me like the Dark Lord, he who shall not be named. They feel like if they say my name, they might get the power. Or maybe they’re scared. I don’t really care. All I know is I’m working. If you want to beat me, you better do it yesterday, because every (expletive) day, I’m getting better.”

So, this guy has personality. He has the flash needed to become a celebrity. But as McGregor demonstrated, style isn't enough. You need the skill to back it up, the walk to backstop the talk. Adesanya is only one fight into his UFC career. Does he have the substance to keep it going and become a true elite—and, perhaps, a bona fide star?

The answer, in summary, is an emphatic yes.

Although he's only competed 12 times in MMA, Adesanya has a decorated background in kickboxing, where he is 26-5-2 with 24 knockouts. He only walked away from kickboxing last year to focus entirely on MMA, which he had been doing at lower levels since 2012.

His striking is powerful, but his dynamism and creativity are what set him apart. He's a freestyle combat artist in the mold of Jon Jones. The Stylebender stands 6'3" and sports an 80" reach—three inches and six inches longer, respectively, than UFC on Fox 29 foe Marvin Vettori. That length allows him to attack with punches and kicks from long range. And he's not always going from the kill shot, as it were. He can certainly do that, but loves to weaken opponents by attacking the body. That's a particularly effective strategy against a grappler like Vettori.

His creativity was in full evidence in his debut against Wilkinson. He attacks with punches, kicks, elbows and knees, and can do so with accuracy while keeping opponents vulnerable and confused with stance switches and constant feints. 

Perhaps the most promising sign against Wilkinson, though, was Adesanya's takedown defense. As good as his striking is, it's a moot point if you can't stay off your back. Wilkinson was clearly bent on testing Adesanya in this area, but only converted three of his 15 takedown attempts, according to Fight Metric. And when the takedowns did work, Adesanya was back on his feet in a matter of seconds.

Vettori will most likely take the same approach. He's a well-rounded fighter but is a jiu-jitsu and submission specialist. This is probably Adesanya's toughest test to date in an MMA cage. Even so, Adesanya is about a -250 favorite to take care of business, according to Odds Shark.

Oddsmakers clearly have faith in the widely hyped newcomer. So does the UFC; you don't get a co-main event slot on a "Big Fox" card without a pretty good reason.

If Adesanya can best Vettori, and do so in the same dynamic fashion he showed against Wilkinson and against plenty of opponents from his kickboxing days, his hype train may grow more packed than anyone else's since that McGregor guy. To date, he has shown the full range of tools that would allow him to do so.