And then came the online backlash, with many fans and pundits labelling Adesanya a boring fighter.
Even actor Chris Pratt criticised Adesanya's fight style, before eventually apologising after Adesanya hit back with a cheeky meme.
"I'm going to say this as humbly as I can – I've never been in the octagon," Pratt said on ESPN. "I don't know this game, I'm just an actor.
"But I don't like to go out there and have all that talk, and then just do a little bit of pitter-patter. I mean, come on, man.
"You've got to capitalise on that promise of being so badass."
The best and most entertaining fights in the UFC are all out wars, with both fighters swinging for the fences, sometimes ending with someone getting knocked out. Adesanya himself has been involved in a couple, namely his five-round epic against Kelvin Gastelum in 2019.
But the nature of the sport – where fighters from a variety of martial arts disciplines battle it out in clashes of skill and style – also means fights can often become more of a technical chess match.
Several of Adesanya's fights have fallen into the latter category. But the reason Adesanya remains unbeaten in the division is because of his ability to avoid punishment and out-fight his opponents.
He's the most skillful striker in the UFC, balancing natural athleticism, elite kickboxing and high fight IQ; he always seems to be one step ahead of his opponent. And that ability leaves his opponents stunned and unable to establish their own game plan.
Some fans may be turning on Adesanya, questioning his legacy for lacking the entertainment factor.
But nothing hurts sporting legacies more than losing.
Kevin Durant as a rugby player?
In the often stale world of rugby on the internet, the Blues' social media team has emerged as one of the better accounts in NZ rugby.
The team's Twitter and Instagram presence at least tries to keep fans engaged by putting out interesting and funny content – and it seems to be appreciated by followers.
This week, the Blues asked the question: Would Kevin Durant be good at rugby?
The answer is probably not. He's too tall and lanky, and even though he's a seven foot guy who moves like a point guard, he can lack physicality in the NBA, let alone rugby.
As for LeBron James, well he'd be awesome in basically any sport he chooses, as shown in a flag football exhibition match against Durant from a few years back where he looked like a bigger, taller Dalton Papalii.
When stat padding goes wrong
Tottenham Hotspur winger Dejan Kulusevski admitted he missed an open goal on the final day of last season because he was too worried about trying to help his teammate Son Hueng-min win the golden boot.
Speaking on the DÅ ÄR VI IGÅNG podcast (he's Swedish), Kulusevski explained his thinking in one of the worst misses of the season.
He would later score a banger to make up for it:
