In 2018 a new arrival in the Octagon for what would be a star year.
It was immediately clear that there was something special about Israel Adesanya who had known kickboxing fans for a long time.
The former two-time middleweight champion is currently on the comeback trail with Adesanya who hires David Goggins to help him push his mind and body to the limit.
Although the results have not gone away recently, the introduction of 'The Last Stylebender' seemed absolutely effortlessly back to UFC 221.
Adesanya dominated and stopped Australia Rob Wilkinson to mark his territory in the UFC before he ended the year with a 4-0 record.
On this day in 2018 …
Israël Adesanya made his UFC debut by finishing Rob Wilkinson in the second round 🙌
Two years later he is the middleweight champion and one of the biggest draws in sport …
A sensational increase 🌟 pic.twitter.com/3VQsqfde31
– UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) 11 February 2020
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Israel Adesanya says he has earned six digits for his dominant UFC debut in 2018
What Israel Adesanya could achieve in 2018 and 2019 might never be replicated, but his climb to the top of the sport had to start somewhere.
The Elite Kickboxer was not happy with his debut performance, but it was more than enough to make fans enthusiastic about his ceiling in mixed fights.
Adesanya expanded his pro-record to 12-0 and dismantled Wilkinson, who would become a PFL world champion before he finally brought him away in the second round.
The devastating representation of striking deserved 'The Last Stylebender' his first version of the Night Bonus, but as he recently revealed on the poundcast of Pound 4 Pound, his wallet was already much higher than what your regular UFC -Debutant will take home.
Adesanya had a lot of hype around him, because Joe Rogan helps him defend as a potential star.
The 35-year-old revealed that his financial reward of UFC 221 was drastically higher than the fairly standard contract with which many new recruits will be confronted.
“My UFC debut, I did not make the 10 and 10 as everyone, I made six digits and then I made a 50k bonus on top of that. Stole the show, who was the most important event? Rockhold versus yoel I believe.
Israel Adesanya came down after his emphatic UFC debut
During his appearance on the poundcast of Pound 4 pounds, Israel Adesanya opened over the struggles that came immediately after his UFC debut.
The highlights of setting up a show at UFC 221 and getting his hand raised not long and although this is something he got used to, it was a new experience at the time.
“I would go home and I would just crash. I didn't understand. For me, then I started to go to therapy because I realized that okay, this is, I don't want to say that this is bad, but it was bad. I was like damn, I should not be sad and then you feel guilty because you feel sad.”
Over time, the future Hall of Famer has been better equipped to deal with this stimulus and how you can get rid of the constant spotlights of a fighting week.
Although there seem to be no plans at the moment, it seems that Adesanya will return to the Octagon in the near future in search of another highlight.