‘Sharp and Deadly’ Israel Adesanya Channels Marvel’s ‘Blade’ for UFC 305 Fight

Israel Adesanya takes after 'Blade' in the lead-up to his fight against Dricus Du Plessis.

Christopher De Santiago | Aug 15, 2024

Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports

Israel Adesanya wants to show Dricus Du Plessis "the light" at UFC 305.

UFC 305: Israel Adesanya Rips ‘Privileged’ Dricus du Plessis for ‘Colonist Mindset'

The former UFC Middleweight Champion is taking on a new mindset in his long-awaited return to the Octagon this weekend in Perth, Australia, There, he'll look to become a three-time champion against Du Plessis after taking the last year off following his title loss to Sean Strickland.

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Adesanya Channels "Blade" Ahead of UFC 305

Adesanya's never been one to be short of inspiration, oftentimes taking a page or two from fictional characters heading into some of the biggest fights of his career.

For his title unification bout with Robert Whittaker, Adesanya mirrored Light Yagami from popular anime Death Note, pretending to write Whittaker's name before ultimately knocking him out.

For his upcoming grudge match against Du Plessis, Adesanya is channeling another character in Marvel Comics' favorite vampire hunter 'Blade', an anti-hero with an extensive martial arts background and superhuman abilities to go along with it.

It was actor Wesley Snipes who brought Blade to life in a hit movie trilogy, with Adesanya trying to embody the character on fight night.

"I like Blade for this one," Adesanya told Fox Sports Australia's Niko Pajarillo, when asked who he was embodying for this fight. "Blade was cool. Something about Blade just kinda feels sharp and deadly in this fight. And, yeah, I just wanna show this guy the light."

"A win over Dricus will be another head that I've taken in this game," the former champ continued. "But for me, a win over him will be a win for my people, will be a win for us because of him and his mouth and what he said. It'll be a big win for us."

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Not having fought since last September, Adesanya's comeback story at UFC 305 marks the longest layoff of his combat sports career with "The Last Stylebender" fighting, on average, around three times a year in the UFC.

Taking some much-needed time off to focus on building himself back up, Adesanya says he's hitting a new stride at 35 years old, feeling sharp and deadly just like Blade.

"You guys will see the best me you've seen yet," Adesanya said at UFC 305 media day. "I'm the biggest I've ever been, the most muscular I've ever been. I feel faster. I surprise myself sometimes with the speed that I'm hitting with. Not really hitting hard. I'm just really sharp, and I feel like a blade in this one."

"So, yeah, it's been good to refresh myself and reset myself, and now let's get it."

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‘Sharp and Deadly’ Israel Adesanya Channels Marvel’s ‘Blade’ for UFC 305 Fight

Former UFC Champion Israel Adesanya. / Jasmin Frank-USA TODAY Sports

Adesanya Channels "Blade" Ahead of UFC 305

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