Tag: Jason Wilnis

Through common lenses: Israel Adesanya, Alex Pereira’s mutual opponents preview UFC 281 headliner

The four men who fought both Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira in kickboxing explain why they’re so difficult – and give their predictions.

Regardless of what happens Saturday at UFC 281, [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] and [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] will forever be linked.

Former two-time kickboxing opponents, Adesanya and Pereira are on the verge of a quasi-trilogy bout under a different rule set. Their kickboxing matches, both won by Pereira, seem like they took place during a different lifetime on an alternate planet.

While so much has changed, a lot has remained the same. Adesanya and Pereira still rely heavily on the discipline that got them to the big dance, a UFC middleweight title fight at Madison Square Garden. They’re mixed martial artists now, but still kickboxers.

Adesanya and Pereira have that direct linkage already, but the web extends beyond. Four men shared the ring with both during their kickboxing days. They know what it truly feels like to be kicked, punched and even sometimes knocked out by the fighters on the UFC 281 marquee.

Kickboxing standout Jason Wilnis focused on KSW 70 in short term, ‘aiming for the best’ as MMA career progresses

A former Israel Adesanya opponent, Jason Wilnis is hyperfocused on KSW 70, but could the UFC in his long-term future?

[autotag]Jason Wilnis[/autotag] is one in a growing list of standout kickboxers to crossover into MMA in recent years.

In fact, Wilnis fought both Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira in his kickboxing career, as well as fellow rising MMA prospect Simon Marcus. Mix and match, all four of these fighters kickboxed one another.

Linked frequently, Wilnis isn’t willing to define himself by ties to others’ name recognitions. He looks to pave his own path, a story which will continue to be written Saturday at KSW 70. The event takes place in Lodz, Poland and streams on pay-per-view.

“I’m excited,” Wilnis told MMA Junkie on Thursday. “It’s crazy. This is my dream to fight on the highest stages and now we are here, man. … I dreamed of it, but I didn’t expect it this quick. But I did dream of it. … They asked if I wanted to make a bigger step. KSW is one of the biggest in Europe. We could’ve maybe taken some other chances, but we didn’t look for that. We wanted to stay at LFL just to grow. But KSW, yes, they have good fights. We gave them a chance.”

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Through two MMA bouts, Wilinis still has a zero in the loss column. He won his professional debut by knockout and his sophomore outing by unanimous decision. Both of the bouts were against more well-rounded martial artists. It’s been fun to show all aspects of his game, but fighting a kickboxing-based opponent like Radosław Paczuski (3-0), whom he fights Saturday, seems a little bit more fun to Wilnis.

“I think because he’s an experienced kickboxer, also – 3-0,” Wilnis said. “I think he’s the best of these three fights that I’ve had in my small MMA career – for now. … The guys I had before, I couldn’t show all my standup MMA striking. This is a different style now, so maybe I can show more in my standup. That’s good to experience, also.”

His bout will be the first on a newly inked multifight deal with KSW. While he plans to rise up the promotion’s ranks, Wilnis said the goal will always be to fight the best challenges available, which could mean eventually pivoting to the UFC.

“We always aim for the best,” Wilnis said. “Maybe we can get a title fight, or who knows? My manager is helping me, also. We do what’s best. For now, the aim is to grow in KSW.”

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Video: Jason Wilnis, who holds kickboxing win over Israel Adesanya, nets KO in MMA debut

Jason Wilnis, who defeated Israel Adesanya in a 2017 kickboxing bout, made a successful MMA debut on Sunday with a first-round knockout.

[autotag]Jason Wilnis[/autotag]’ first venture into MMA was a success.

Wilnis, a kickboxing veteran who holds a controversial unanimous decision win over Israel Adesanya from January 2017, put on the MMA gloves for his first professional bout on Sunday, and all went well.

Headlining Levels Fight League 2 in Amsterdam, Wilnis made relatively easy work of Erhan Okuroglu for a first-round knockout. After thwarting a number of takedown attempts, Wilnis slid a strong right hand though Okuroglu’s guard that put him in trouble, setting up a left hook that dropped him to the mat. It was stopped moments thereafter at the 4:08 mark of Round 1.

Check out the replay of Wilnis’ win below (via Twitter):

Although it didn’t come against particularly proven competition, Wilnis’ performance was a good start. The 30-year-old Dutchman told MMA Junkie pre-fight that he’s wholly committed to making a run in the sport, and after gaining experience hopes to land in the UFC or Bellator.

Despite having faced and beaten Adesanya under the GLORY banner, Wilnis said he’s not trying to use the kickboxing victory as a shortcut to success in MMA. He would like nothing more than to face Adesanya against in a cage, but won’t be chasing it.

“I’ve seen his rise through the UFC and I would be lying if I didn’t say that was somewhat of a motivation for me,” Wilnis said of Adesanya. “But my thoughts on MMA started before him. If I get to the UFC and our paths cross, I would fight him again for sure. However, I am on my own journey, and I would not say fighting him is a particular goal of mine.”

Combat Rewind, May 17: The guy who knocked out Israel Adesanya is back

Check out the best highlights from this day in history with MMA Junkie’s “Combat Rewind.”

There’s “Flashback Friday” and “Throwback Thursday” (and Tuesday, too, if you want). But at MMA Junkie, we figured why not expand that to every day?

“Combat Rewind” brings you some of combat sports’ best highlights from every calendar day of the year. It’s a look back at history, courtesy of the UFC Fight Pass archives, featuring stellar finishes and classic moments in MMA and beyond on their anniversaries.

So kick back and relive the following bits of greatness in the video above:

Fight footage courtesy of UFC Fight Pass, the UFC’s official digital subscription service, which is currently offering a seven-day free trial. UFC Fight Pass gives fans access to exclusive live UFC events and fights, exclusive live MMA and combat sports events from around the world, exclusive original and behind the scenes content and unprecedented 24-7 access to the world’s biggest fight library.