Kickboxing: Adesanya joins the Super 8 fight

Former Rotorua fighter Israel Adesanya (pictured) is looking to win his second major title in four days when he takes part in the Super 8 Fight Night tomorrow in Auckland.

The reputation of talented boxer and kickboxer Israel Adesanya is growing almost as quickly as his list of titles.

Adesanya, formerly from Rotorua, won the King in the Ring eight-man eliminator kickboxing event on Saturday night at Auckland's ASB Stadium.

He won a $10,000 prize for his efforts and added another title to his growing collection this year.

Adesanya is the reining Super 8 cruiserweight champion (boxing) and now a three-time King in the Ring winner (kickboxing) in two different weight classes.

The televised King in the Ring event on Saturday featured eight heavyweight kickboxers from New Zealand and Australia, all of whom were vying for one title during the elimination event.

Adesanya, 26, comfortably won his first two fights to progress to the final against Jamie Eades (Auckland), before outclassing Eades in the final to win on points. Eades had earlier defeated Rotorua's Joel Marsters in the opening round.

Adesanya, who now boasts a record of more than 40 wins and only two losses as a kickboxer, said his victory was dedicated to a close friend, Jamie Van Der Kuijl, who tragically died recently in a farming accident.

"The last fight I fought with emotion so I was not at my best," he said.

"I have too many belts already so this one is for Jamie."

Never short of confidence, Adesanya entered the ring with a superhero cape before each bout , and said he had become accustomed to winning: "Winning is a habit and I'm used to winning."

Incredibly, he will hop back into the ring tomorrow during the televised Super 8 Fight Night boxing event being held at Auckland's Skycity.

While Adesanya will be competing in the four-man cruiserweight tournament at the event, other fights on the card include the likes of league players Paul Gallen from Australia and Warrior Bodene Thompson fighting one another.

The Super 8 Fight Night boxing event is being shown live on Sky Sports tomorrow night from 7pm.