Map of Africa, 'Broken Native', 'Naruto' seal, and more - All of Israel Adesanya's tattoos explained
Israel Adesanya has a plethora of meaningful tattoos scattered across his body that illustrate his love of self-expression.
'The Last Stylebender' admitted that his first tattoo is a personal one, and refused to showcase it in front of cameras.
But Adesanya's second and third pieces of ink, which he got at 22 years old, are arguably his most iconic. The words "Broken Native" were written on the upper half of his chest, coupled with the African continent drawn on his sternum, with the country of Nigeria highlighted.
The term "Broken Native" was originally the name of a dance crew that Israel Adesanya belonged to growing up, as well as his feelings of being out of place amongst peers. It is likely a reference to the racism he faced growing up in New Zealand, after migrating from Nigeria as a child.
Israel Adesanya also has several anime-inspired tattoos, including Toph Beifong from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Adesanya also has a combination of the Nine Tails Seal from Naruto and the Ocean and Moon Spirit from Avatar tattooed on his stomach.
He has a werewolf tattooed on his right shoulder, which he stated came from his love of dogs. Adesanya has a massive tattoo of Deadpool on his ribcage, owing to one of his favorite Marvel characters.
Israel Adesanya has a Calvin and Hobbes tattoo on the inside of his right bicep, a comic that he grew up reading, created by American cartoonist Bill Watterson.
Watch Israel Adesanya break down his tattoos with GQ Magazine below:
Adesanya has two neck tattoos, one a tribute to his dog Millionaire, and the other a depiction of the ancient Egyptian deity Montu, a god of war.
Israel Adesanya's biggest tattoo is without a doubt the back piece he has, inspired by a traditional Japanese dragon.
More recently, 'The Last Stylebender' has acquired two tattoos on his face. One is placed under his left eye, but the meaning remains unclear. The other, which is over his right eyebrow, is the phrase "Dragon" written in Arabic.
Watch Israel Adesanya getting his face and neck tattoos below:
Why does Israel Adesanya have so many tattoos inspired by anime?
Many of Israel Adesanya's tattoos prominently feature anime characters. The Nigerian-Kiwi fighter's nickname, 'The Last Stylebender,' also draws inspiration from the popular series, Avatar: The Last Airbender.'
The primary reason for the anime influence in his tattoos is Adesanya's passion for anime, as he is an avid fan of the genre. Many elements of his fan-favorite MMA moments are also inspired by anime characters.
In a January 2023 interview with GQ Sports, Adesanya candidly shared his love for anime and explained how he became captivated by the genre:
"I think, after school, every kid watched Dragonball Z and they came back to school the next day and then talk about what happened [in the episode]. I was a part of that wave, during the Goku, Super Saiyan, the Era... All that."
He added:
"For me, when I first really got into anime was, I believe, episode 48 of 'Naruto Shonen Jump' and that was the Gara vs. Rock Lee fight. So I just got shown that by a friend on a CD. So I watched that fight and that was the one that got me hooked. And I watched all 720 episodes after that."
Check out Israel Adesanya's comments below (0:12):
In the aforementioned video, Adesanya listed Spriggan, Jujutsu Kaisen, Death Note, Naruto, and Avatar: The Last Airbender as his top five favorite anime series. Consequently, many of his tattoos, his nickname, and even some of his most iconic moments from fights draw inspiration from these series.