In April 2015, Adesanya entered the ‘Cruiserweights II’ tournament at King in the Ring 86, where he looked to add three more names to his then-22-2 kickboxing resume. At the time, Adesanya’s two defeats were at the hands of Filip Verlinden and Simon Marcus, who were highly accomplished fighters.

Israel Adesanya clears up Nassourdine Imavov controversy while watching back UFC loss - Some fans claimed Adesanya had been the victim of an early stoppage, as he was knocked out in round two