Former UFC champions Israel “The Last Stylebender” Adesanya and Kamaru “The Nigerian Nightmare” Usman are close friends and are often seen interacting on social media or hanging out in person.
During their time as champions, Adesanya and Usman were dominating the middleweight and welterweight divisions, and both looked nearly unbeatable.
Israel Adesanya and Kamaru Usman UFC History
Adesanya twice held the UFC middleweight title belt, first winning it in a Hall of Fame match against Kevin Gastelum on April 13, 2019. He held the belt until 2022, when Alex Pereira defeated him via technical knockout.
Adesanya reclaimed the title from Pereira in 2023 at UFC 287, but lost the belt again later that same year to Sean Strickland in a major upset.
Usman, meanwhile, also captured his UFC Title Belt in 2019, becoming the welterweight champion. In 2022, he lost the belt to Leon Edwards via a fifth-round knockout at UFC 278.
Usman tried, unsuccessfully, to reclaim the belt from Edwards in 2023 and now sits at No. 4 in the UFC’s welterweight rankings.
Adesanya Reunites With Usman
Adesanya and Usman recently met up after a long time and trained together in the gym. Usman shared a post on social media with photos of him and Adesanya at the gym.
In the caption of the post, Usman wrote:
“Truly love connecting with my brother @stylebender.”
Several MMA fans reacted in the comments section.
One fan hailed the two Nigerian-born fighters:
“AFRICAN KINGS.”
Another fan reminisced about their rise in the UFC:
“Still remember 2018-19 when you two were coming up. Those were fun times.”
Many others also shared their thoughts under Usman’s post.
Adesanya and Usman Are Going Through a Rough Patch in the UFC
Although both Adesanya and Usman remain respected figures in the MMA world, things haven’t gone their way inside the Octagon lately.
Usman is on a three-fight losing streak and hasn’t won since November 2021.
His most recent fight came in October 2023 at UFC 294, when he made his middleweight debut against Khamzat Chimaev. The 37-year-old lost by majority decision, with judges scoring the bout 29-27, 29-27 and 28-28 in favor of “Borz.”
Adesanya is also on a skid, having lost his last three fights. He’s 1-4 in his last five UFC appearances.
“The Last Stylebender” last fought in February 2025, headlining a UFC Fight Night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He faced Nassourdine Imavov, who entered the fight on a three-fight win streak.
It was a tough night for Adesanya, who suffered a second-round knockout. It marked only the second knockout loss of his pro MMA career.