Kiwi kickboxer Israel Adesanya has lost a judge’s decision against defending Glory middleweight champion Justin Wilnis in Los Angeles.
The fight went all five rounds with all three judges giving the fight to Wilnis, scoring it 49-46, 48-47, 48-47.
The fight was far closer than the scorecards suggest with parts of the crowd booing the decision, feeling Adesanya did enough to get the nod.
Adesanya controlled the fight early, throwing swift punches and attacking the Wilnis from all angles. Adesanya was able to control the pace of the fight showcasing his elusiveness and using his reach extremely well to avoid the Dutchman.
Wilnis pressured forward throughout the fight throwing a significant number of leg kicks to try and slow down the Kiwi. While landing many, the kicks failed to hurt Adesanya who continued to move well. Ultimately however, it would be the amount of leg kicks landed by Wilnis that would be seen as enough to get the win in the eyes of the judges.
The loss brings Adesanya’s kickboxing record to 64-4.
It is expected that Wilnis will defend his title next against number 1 contender Simon Marcus.
