Ex-UFC champion slams "conveniently African" Israel Adesanya and Kamaru Usman in recent rant: "All of a sudden now he Wakanda"
Israel Adesanya and Kamaru Usman have consistently showcased their African heritage with pride, but a former UFC champion recently accused the pair of leveraging their roots purely for promotional gain.
Adesanya, Usman, and Francis Ngannou were heralded as the 'Three Kings' of the UFC when they simultaneously ruled the middleweight, welterweight, and heavyweight divisions. Their dominance, coupled with their deep African roots, earned them this regal title.
However, current 185-pound titleholder Dricus du Plessis, hailing from South Africa, initially stirred controversy by asserting that he would be the first UFC champion to be born, raised, and still living in Africa.
This comment was a veiled jab at 'The Last Stylebender', Usman, and Ngannou, who, despite being born in Africa, all moved abroad. Likewise, Tyron Woodley shares the sentiment, believing that both Adesanya and 'The Nigerian Nightmare' only capitalize on their African heritage without truly embracing it.
During an appearance on the Overdogs Podcast last month, 'The Chosen One' didn’t hold back, branding Adesanya and Usman as "fake." He accused both fighters of ignoring their African heritage until they became champions, alleging that they used it as a convenient ploy to boost their popularity:
"I don't really f**k with Izzy, he's fake. He was New Zealand, and all of a sudden now he's Wakanda. Izzy and Usman are conveniently African. After he beat me, they didn't raise up Usman, they raised up Africa. Usman was 'Marty from Nebraska,' he wasn't Kamaru Usman, proud of his heritage. In college, he went by 'Marty'... They never spoke about their African heritage and were never so proud of it."
Check out Tyron Woodley's comments below:
Check out the full podcast episode below:
When Israel Adesanya fired back at Tyron Woodley for calling him out
After Tyron Woodley's welterweight bout against Leon Edwards at UFC London was postponed in March 2020 due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, 'The Chosen One' took to social media to call out then-reigning middleweight champion Israel Adesanya for a title showdown.
During an interview with The Score (via MMA Mania) in April 2020, 'The Last Stylebender' took aim at Woodley for seeking a matchup, asserting that the American's interest in fighting him stems from his desire to revive his seemingly faltering career and his urgent need for financial gain. Adesanya said:
"Tyron is reaching because he’s broke, or he’s about to be broke. He’s like, 'I need anyone that’s not Leon Edwards. Anyone that can be a big cash grab.' Tyron would take an a** whooping just to fight me as long as he gets paid good, put it that way. You should not be talking to me.
"You’re not a champion, so shut the f**k up. The last Nigerian you faced, you faced him at 30 percent and he whooped your a**."