Good news for anime fans who loathe subtitles.
Reigning UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is lending his voice-over talents to the dubbed version of Baki Hanma on Netflix. “The Last Stylebender” is mouthing the role of “Chamomile Lessen,” which the Baki Wiki describes as “one of Jun Guevaru’s underlings who infiltrated the secret service as a bodyguard of the American President.”
“I feel like I’ve played a part in the rise of anime in sports over the last few years,” Adesanya told his YouTube subscribers (transcribed by MMA Junkie). “I feel like I have because I express myself authentically. Those who knew about anime, they were like, ‘Damn, this a real ninja.’ It’s what every anime fan tries to emulate.”
When he isn’t getting mugged-and-slugged by light heavyweights, the 32 year-old Adesanya is using his range and rhythm to frustrate and ultimately out-strike the promotion’s middleweight contenders, mixing in anime-inspired move sets along the way.
“I got offered to play a character in the series and I had to jump on it,” Adesanya continued. “For me, voiceover work is my shit. I’m good at different accents, different tones, different languages, different vibes. I’m a man of the people. This was my first dip. My foot in the door, if you will, in voiceover work, and yeah, I had fun.”
Adesanya (21-1) is expected to make his next title defense at UFC 271 in February against former 185-pound champion Robert Whittaker, assuming “The Last Stylebender” can help smooth out some of those negotiating wrinkles along the way.