UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is set to release his documentary titled ‘Stylebender’ in September.
The Nigerian-born fighter released the trailer on Wednesday following an international premiere at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival in Manhattan in June.
The 34-year-old is undoubtedly one of the biggest names in MMA. Making his UFC debut in 2018 after a lengthy stint in the world of kickboxing, many questioned his ability to hang with wrestlers and grapplers. However, it would be only a year before the division’s belt would be wrapped around his waste.
While cocky and flamboyant from the very moment he walked into the cage, the trailer takes us back to Adesanya’s early life, detailing how this confidence wasn’t always the case.
At UFC 287, Adesanya’s bout with bitter rival Alex Pereira made history.
The only two-time middleweight champion in the promotion’s history, the Kiwi boxer with Nigerian ancestry knocked out ‘Poatan.’
Directed by Zoë McIntosh, ‘Stylebender’ is an intimate look at the New Zealand-based MMA champion. According to the official synopsis, the documentary “goes beyond the octagon and delves deep into an unlikely fighter’s journey. Exploring Israel’s experiences of masculinity, bullying, mental health and the healing power of dance, the film is a poignant examination of the complex, electrifying and sometimes controversial figure known as ‘The Last Stylebender.’”
McIntosh and her team shot Stylebender over a five-year period and managed to get unprecedented access to the UFC middleweight champion and his team. A FluroBlack production, the documentary was crafted with funding from the New Zealand Film Commission, the New Zealand Government’s Screen Production Grant, and was completed with funding from the New Zealand Government’s Screen Production Recovery Fund.
Adesanya previously begged Netflix to take on the documentary but on 28 September, it is expected to be released in theatres.
In his first title defence of his second term as champion, he will now face Sean Strickland at UFC 293.
