Nigerian-born New Zealand martial artist, Israel Adesanya is set to release his documentary titled ‘Stylebender’ in September 2023.
The Ufc Middleweight Champion released the trailer on Wednesday following an international premiere at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival in Manhattan in June.
The trailer takes viewers down memory lane to Adesanya’s early life, detailing how this confidence wasn’t always the case.
The 34-year-old fighter made his UFC debut in 2018 after a lengthy stint in the world of kickboxing, raising many questions about his ability to hang with wrestlers and grapplers.
Adesanya, the only two-time Middleweight Champion in the promotion’s history bested Alex Pereira at UFC 287, thereby making history.
The documentary, ‘Stylebender’ directed by Zoë McIntosh, 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, which is expected to be released in theatres on September 28.
