Short answer? Israel Adesanya is based in Auckland, New Zealand. For about 16 or 17 years, his gym was City Kickboxing. But he left in 2026, and when he announced the split, he didn’t say where he’d train next.
| L | Joe PyferKO/TKO · Punches to Head From Mount · R2 4:18 | UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs. PyferMar 28, 2026 |
| L | Nassourdine ImavovKO/TKO · Punch to Head At Distance · R2 0:30 | UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs. ImavovFeb 1, 2025 |
| L | Dricus Du Plessis TitleSubmission · Rear Naked Choke · R4 3:38 | UFC 305: Du Plessis vs. AdesanyaAug 17, 2024 |
| L | Sean Strickland TitleDecision - Unanimous · R5 5:00 | UFC 293: Adesanya vs. StricklandSep 9, 2023 |
| W | Alex Pereira TitleKO/TKO · Punch to Head At Distance · R2 4:21 | UFC 287: Pereira vs. Adesanya 2Apr 8, 2023 |
If you’ve seen older articles naming CKB as his gym, you’re not wrong. They’re just out of date. So let’s sort out what we know today.
So where does Israel Adesanya actually live?
Auckland. Wikipedia lists him as fighting out of Auckland, and other profiles say he lives there too. We’re sticking to the city, since where he lives beyond that is his business.
But Auckland isn’t where his story starts. He was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and his family moved to New Zealand in 2001. Sources disagree on how old he was, with some saying 10 and others 12.
Once in New Zealand, the family settled in Rotorua. He later lived in Whanganui as a teenager. He took up Muay Thai there before moving to Auckland.
And the Auckland move was a big one. In his own words, he first went to CKB in 2009, moved over in 2010, and established himself in Auckland. So the city and the gym grew up together.
Quick facts at a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Born | Lagos, Nigeria |
| Home base | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Longtime gym | City Kickboxing, in the Auckland suburb of Morningside |
| Longtime head coach | Eugene Bareman |
| Left CKB | Effective May 20, 2026, announced by video on July 9 |
| New gym | Not publicly confirmed in the sources we found |
Why did he leave City Kickboxing?
Honestly, this one surprised a lot of fans. CKB and Adesanya felt inseparable.
He explained it on his YouTube channel. He said he told Bareman face to face on May 20 that he wasn’t coming back. The reason he gave was simple: “What I need for myself is focused, individual, training.”
Reports say he wanted something more tailored than a busy team built around several elite fighters. And he didn’t trash the gym on the way out. He called the move “bittersweet, but it’s the right thing for me”.
The timing matters too. Joe Pyfer beat him by second-round TKO on March 28, 2026, in Seattle. Sherdog described it as his fourth straight loss. So this looks like a reset. Whether it works is something we’ll have to watch.
What was fight camp like at CKB?
Here’s what fans usually picture: a gym stacked with world-class teammates. That’s accurate.
- CKB’s roster has included Dan Hooker, Kai Kara-France and Alexander Volkanovski.
- A profile said he also sparred with Carlos Ulberg and Brad Riddell.
- Wikipedia says he trains wrestling under Andrei Păuleț.
We don’t have reliable public details on his day-to-day schedule for his most recent camp. So we’re not going to make any up.
That also explains his reasoning. Picture sharing coaches’ attention with several top-ranked athletes in one room. You can see why he’d want a different setup.
So where is he training now?
We don’t know. Adesanya didn’t reveal where he’d train next or what gym would become his new home. Some outlets floated possible destinations, but those were guesses, not announcements.
We also didn’t find a confirmed next fight date in our search. If that changes, a new camp location will probably come with it. Fighters usually name their camps once a bout is booked.
And here’s a good habit when you read gym news. Check whether the writer is quoting the fighter or guessing. It saves a lot of confusion.
Why does his base matter?
Auckland isn’t a famous fight city like Las Vegas or Albuquerque. Yet CKB turned it into a global name. Adesanya said he was one of the main pillars who put CKB on the world stage.
If you like this kind of deep dive, we’ve covered other fighters’ homes and gyms. Check out Jon Jones in Albuquerque and Jack Della Maddalena. Or see Khabib Nurmagomedov.
So that’s where things stand with Stylebender. He’s an Auckland guy who’s looking for a new training home after a long run. We’ll update this page when he names one. Until then, keep an eye on his YouTube channel, since that’s where he made the CKB announcement. Thanks for reading, and we’ll catch you at the next one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does Israel Adesanya live?
He’s based in Auckland, New Zealand. He was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and moved to New Zealand as a kid. We don’t share anything more specific than the city.
Does Israel Adesanya still train at City Kickboxing?
No. He left CKB, telling coach Eugene Bareman he wanted focused individual training.
Who is Israel Adesanya’s coach now?
That hasn’t been publicly confirmed in the reports we found. Bareman was his longtime head coach, but the two have split on the gym front.
Where was Israel Adesanya born?
He was born in Lagos, Nigeria, on July 22, 1989. He holds both Nigerian and New Zealand citizenship.
Sources
- News Wire: Israel Adesanya splits from Auckland gym City Kickboxing
- Sherdog: Israel Adesanya announces departure from City Kickboxing
- Cageside Press: Adesanya leaves City Kickboxing
- Yahoo Sports: Adesanya leaves City Kickboxing after 16 years
- UFC.com: Adesanya vs Pyfer
- Wikipedia: Israel Adesanya
- GLORY Kickboxing: Israel Adesanya
- Sportskeeda: Where is Israel Adesanya from?
- Gracie Magazine via Senso: Adesanya providing protective equipment
Last updated: October 2026
