Adesanya wants UFC chance

Israel Adesanya (L) fights Brian Minto (R) during Super 8 Fight Night at Horncastle Arena on March 28. Photo / Getty Images.

Israel Adesanya wants to be competing in the UFC by the end of next year.

The Kiwi combat sports athlete added the Super 8 cruiserweight boxing crown to the list of his achievements with victory over American Brian Minto (41-9) in Saturday night's final in Christchurch.

Adesanya (3-1) is well-known as a kickboxer, where he holds a 41-2 record, but looked impressive on his way to the showpiece bout following wins over Lance Bryant (4-2) and Asher Derbyshire (7-2).

Minto, the teak-tough favourite, eased past Monty Filimaea (10-12-1) in the quarter-finals before topping Australia's Daniel Ammann (31-9-1) in the semi.

The final was close - Minto thought he took it comfortably - but one judge had it even, while the other two were split; one for Minto, one for Adesanya.

That sent it to a deciding, sudden-death final round where Adesanya's conditioning proved vital as he finished well.

"I was ready to get knocked out. I was ready to die, for real," Adesanya said of the final round. "If I was going to go out on a stretcher, I was ready."

He hopes that determination will land him a spot in the world's biggest MMA promotion. His grappling and wrestling is improving, while he would also take a lethal striking background to the UFC's octagon.

"End of 2016," he proclaimed. "The thing is, you don't want to rush it. You want to be able to get your experience outside the UFC first. So we'll do that, definitely; then we'll jump in.

"The guys that have jumped in straight away, they've failed massively."

Considering he is using boxing as a way to develop his all-round game, it's proved one heck of a lucrative hobby. Saturday's win provided the biggest payday of his career.

"I know I can do big things in MMA and I've got the tools for it," the 25-year-old said. "So I want to be a fully-versed martial artist."

Adesanya's next appointment in a ring is the transtasman eight-man King in the Ring kickboxing tournament in Auckland on April 11.

Later this year he is after a few professional MMA bouts in Australasian promotions having dabbled domestically previously.

In Saturday's other bouts on the Super 8 card, Australian Anthony McCracken (18-7-1) defeated Kiwi-trained Samoan Vaitele Soi (24-2) via unanimous decision, 99-91, 99-91 and 98-92.

With his victory, McCracken defended the WBA Pan African, WBO Asia Pacific and the OPBF cruiserweight titles.

Cricketer Jesse Ryder knocked out Cameron Slater in the first round of their charity bout in what served as little more than a mismatch.

Former Warrior Monty Betham moved to 7-1 as a professional after he beat ex-English cricketer Adam Hollioake (2-2) via TKO in the fourth round of their cruiserweight bout.

Auckland heavyweight prospect Hemi Ahio (5-0) recorded another comfortable win as he defeated Clarence Tillman (11-20-2) via TKO.

Tillman didn't leave his stool for the second round due to a shoulder injury after he took a battering to the body in the opening frame.