Another brutal training session at Auckland's City Kickboxing has come to a close and the stench of sweat and hard work is almost palpable as the constant echoes of gloves on pads give way to laughter and light-hearted chatter.

"Hey! Quiet on the set!"

Israel Adesanya's imposing 6 foot 3 frame combined with his larger-than-life character make for an undeniable presence, and as the camera starts to roll there's no questioning that he's cut from a different kind of cloth.

"I'm flamboyant. Like a peacock in ninja shorts," he says with a sly grin when asked how he'd describe his fighting style.

"I'm always acting a fool, that’s just me. You got to keep it light, this is a hard game sometimes."

"He's one of those unique personalities that gets people to gravitate towards him," says teammate and UFC lightweight Dan Hooker.

"His fighting style is just a reflection of his personality."

The 28-year-old recently became New Zealand's newest UFC fighter and is arguably already its most promising, despite being yet to step foot inside an Octagon.

Undefeated though 11 mixed martial arts bouts, "The Style Bender" is true to his moniker. A terrifying blend of precision striking and speed moulded into a lengthy frame, with the kind of fleet of foot crafted by years of dance, an early passion of Adesanya's which he's recently rediscovered.

"I was never an athlete but I was a dancer, and I was very creative at what I did. Me falling in love with dancing and choreography helps me with my retention and muscle memory.

"When I come to the gym and learn something, the sequence and the pathways are already easier to memorise, so they play into each other very well."

Now just a week removed from his impending debut at UFC 221 in Perth, the man known as "The Style Bender" is putting the finishing touches on his preparations for Australian Rob Wilkinson.

The African-born Kiwi has forged a reputation as a genuine triple-threat in the realm of combat sport, his path to his newfound career as a mixed martial artist a long and winding one.

Leaving the shores of his native Nigeria at the age of 10 as his family sought a more recognised education for their kids, Adesanya found solace in the world of combat sports as a means of coming to terms with his newfound life in Aotearoa.

"The smell of Rotorua was the first impression but I love it now. I miss it when I go back. I can smell the bacon and eggs," he says, taking a deep breath.

The family would soon shift south to Whanganui, where he was first introduced to the art of Muay Thai, and the cultural learning curve continued.

"The kids would ask me weird questions like 'do you ride elephants back home?' and I was like 'what'?"

"I think they had a misconception from what they see on TV and what Africa's really like. They only show you kids with flies on their faces when there's more to Africa than meets the eye."