Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has significantly increased his size and strength as he prepares for his title challenge against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305 in Perth.
Dan Hooker, Adesanya’s teammate at City Kickboxing, revealed in an interview with Submission Radio that ‘The Last Stylebender’ has packed on considerable muscle mass during his time away from the Octagon.
“Israel is … I can’t even bother sparring him at the moment. Like the way he’s hitting me, I think he’s like 105 kilos,” Hooker said.
“He’s had some time off. He was carrying some injuries. He spent a lot of time just packing on some size and like a lot of strength, bro. And he’s just hitting like a truck man.”
Adesanya, who has been out of action for nearly a year, is set to face Du Plessis on Saturday, August 17, in a bid to reclaim the middleweight title and become the division’s first three-time champion.
The Nigerian-born fighter boasts a 13-3 record in the UFC, with his only losses coming against Sean Strickland, Alex Pereira, and Jan Blachowicz in a light heavyweight title bout.
Du Plessis, who captured the middleweight strap via a split decision victory over Sean Strickland at UFC 297, presents a formidable challenge. The South African fighter hasn’t tasted defeat since 2018 and is known for his frenetic fighting style.
