ISRAEL ADESANYA is one of the most colourful fighters in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
The dominant middleweight champion has wowed fans inside the octagon for four the last years since making his debut against Rob Wilkinson at UFC 221.
But it’s his larger-than-life personality – in addition to his deadly striking – that has made him a household name in the combat sports world and put him on the cusp of becoming a global superstar.
Fan favourite Adesanya will be back in action early on Sunday morning in the main event of UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
The Nigerian-born New Zealander will bid to avenge his kickboxing losses to devastating knockout artist Alex Pereira at The World’s Most Famous Arena.
SunSport sat down with the UFC’s 185lbs king earlier this year and managed to peel back several of the many layers that make The Last Stylebender.
When was your first ever fight?
“My first fight I can ever remember. I have to go back to when I was young, young – primary school or boarding school.
“I’d say the first ever fight in New Zealand I can remember clearly it was some kid who kept riding by my house hurling racial slurs.
“And then on the Monday at school, he just came up to me and just did the same thing to my face.
“And I was having a bad day anyway, so I just whopped his ass when I was crying.”
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What’s a secret talent you have that no one knows about?
“A secret talent? Hmm. A secret talent? Let me see, what are my secret talents?
“I follow instructions really well. So that makes me a really good chef. I can cook.
“I can actually whip it down in the kitchen – throw it down. Just because I’m coachable.”
What’s your guilty pleasure?
“Guilty pleasure? Ohh, what’s my guilty pleasure? I’m trying to think. What’s my guilty pleasure?
“I’d say sugar. [I’ve got a] sweet tooth.
“Honestly, like, that’s probably the only thing I’m addicted to in this world is sugar. Unfortunately.”
What were you doing when you got the call or the email to say you’d been signed to the UFC?
“What was I doing when I got the call? There was no one moment, it was building up. So I knew it was coming.
“I knew it was coming, but I can’t remember the moment where I signed.
“I just knew it was coming because we were already in discussions and things like that. But I can’t remember, to be honest.
What’s the time you’ve felt the most vulnerable throughout your fight career?
“Throughout my fight career, the most vulnerable? Let me see. Hmmm.
“There was a fight I had in China – the first time I ever got rocked by this little Chinese guy. It was in the first round but I felt fine.
“But then in that moment, I was like, ‘Is this the day you finally get knocked out?’ ‘Is this the day you finally lose?’
“And I remember saying to myself in the corner in the first round, ‘Not today.’
“And in the second and third round, I just went at him and attacked him and won the fight.
“But yeah, I felt really vulnerable in that situation because I’d never had that [happen] before.”
What does Israel Adesanya’s fight camp consist of and what is your favourite cheat meal?
“Man, every meal is a cheat meal. I just chop life, man. During fight camp, I do like to eat relatively clean.
“But whenever I want to indulge, I indulge. And that’s because I enjoy life, I enjoy the simple things. It gives me joy.
“The whole dieting thing during the camp, it doesn’t really work for me. It never has.”
If there’s a fighter in any discipline from any generation that you could’ve fought, who would it be?
“I would’ve liked to fight Prince Naseem Hamed. Just because I liked the [he had].
“His cadence, his rhythm, his showmanship. Everything.
“So I would’ve liked to have tested myself against that guy.”
