UFC: Israel Adesanya looking to end Rob Wilkinson's contract at UFC 221

Israel Adesanya will make his UFC debut in February. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Israel Adesanya is quick to admit when he started getting into mixed martial arts in 2008, he had no intention of stepping in the octagon.

But a decade later, the 28-year-old is preparing for his debut with the sport's pinnacle company, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

"Initially, you wouldn't pay me enough to fight…but now the tables have turned," he told the Herald.

Adesanya will fight on the preliminary card at UFC 221 in Perth on February 11, in a middleweight bout against Australian Rob Wilkinson.

The call-up to the UFC was a big moment for Adesanya, but he said he wasn't unexpected as he and trainer Eugene Bareman of Auckland's City Kickboxing had been working toward it for a while.

Adesanya signed a four-fight deal with the company late in 2017, and got to get firsthand experience of what he was in for when he accompanied gym-mate Dan Hooker in his bout at UFC 219 in Las Vegas last year.

"I already knew I needed to make that walk with him out to the octagon. I kind of already knew it would be the same thing so I made the walk behind him and realised I've done this before…this is just another show – different cage, same energy.

"It was good just to make that walk to reaffirm to myself that I belong here."

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You are looking at the @ufc 's biggest signee since CM Punk...hashtag noshade
Issa big deal, but not really...Imma keep the same energy, do the same ting, in a different cage #thisaintmyfirstrodeo #metamorphosis #UFC pic.twitter.com/KgfiNDJKEb

— Israel Adesanya (@stylebender) December 29, 2017

The self-titled 'Stylebender' has big hopes in the UFC, and for good reason. In 11 professional MMA bouts, Adesanya has 11 wins by knockout. His longest fight to date has lasted about three minutes into the second round.

"I got the name from a TV show – Avatar: The Last Airbender. His destiny was to master all the elements, and I felt like that show resonated with me trying of master all the elements of martial arts to realise my destiny as the avatar, so it just kind of came about.

"People always say wait until you get your nickname from someone else. But f… that; I choose my own destiny."

Israel Adesanya has won all 11 of his MMA bouts by knockout. Photo / Brett Phibbs.

While he's won all fights by knockout and admits he likes to pick at his opponent until they fall down, Adesanya says there were a number of tricks in his bag he hadn't had a chance to pull out yet.

And after a relatively quiet 2017, this year the Nigerian-born Aucklander wants to be "force fed down fans' throats."

He has the option to fight under the Nigerian or New Zealand flag, but says when he steps up for a bout, he wasn't representing a particular nation, but a group.

"I represent who ever represents me…wherever in the world you are, any sexual orientation or religion, if they represent me I represent them.

Israel Adesanya will makes his UFC debut in February. Photo / Brett Phibbs

The Stylebender will head into Perth to take on Wilkinson – a submission specialist who was knocked out in his UFC debut.

Adesanya says he knows Wilkinson will try whatever he can to pin him to the cage and get him to the ground, but the Australian was "in for a rude awakening."

"I know he's getting cut after this fight…You can't have two knockouts in a row and expect to stay in the company. He's getting cut."