Stylebender: What life was really like for MMA champion Israel Adesanya before his rise to stardom

A documentary on Israel "Stylebender" Adesanya gathers insight into his personal life, masculinity, bullying, mental health and the healing power of dance.

A documentary which looks into the life of a Kiwi global sporting hero is about to air.

Israel Adesanya, a Nigeria-born, New Zealand-based UFC champion, spent 13 years of his life in Whanganui, where he picked up a love for mixed martial arts under the tutelage of Derek Broughton.

His rise to stardom over the past five years now sees him as a world champion again after a second-round KO against long-time rival Alex Pereira this month.

Stylebender, a documentary about Adesanya directed by Zöe McIntosh (Dark Tourist, The World in Your Window), will premiere at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival in New York City on June 11.

In the film, Adesanya shares details about his upbringing and personal life and explores themes such as his struggle with mental health, bullying and masculinity.

Stylebender pays homage to the complexity and excitement Adesanya brings to his A-game.

“We started making this film almost five years ago, when Israel was barely known outside the MMA world,” producer Fraser Brown said.

“He’s literally become a global superstar in front of Zöe’s lens, and his honesty and vulnerability has been extraordinary.”

'Stylebender director' Zöe McIntosh. Photo / Sara Hewson

McIntosh said her goal was always “to get under the gloss and hype to unlock the poetry, emotion and contradictions inherent in Israel”.

“I wanted to make a film that spoke not only to MMA fans, but to a wider audience who would connect with Israel’s authenticity and the importance of being your own ‘freaky’ self.”

Stylebender is a FluroBlack production, with filmmakers Fraser Brown (McLaren, Dawn Raid), Leela Menon (Dawn Raid, Mothers of the Revolution) and Tom Blackwell (The Subtle Art of Not Giving a #@%!) at the helm and made with funding from the New Zealand Film Commission, the New Zealand Government’s Screen Production Grant and completed with funding from the New Zealand Government’s Screen Production Recovery Fund.

New Zealand’s independent film distribution collective Ahi will distribute the film in New Zealand and Australia.