Israel Adesanya explains decision to spend Christmas at Abu Dhabi's Grand Mosque
Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has stated why he spent Christmas at Abu Dhabi's Grand Mosque.
Adesanya was in Saudi Arabia this past weekend to attend the Anthony Joshua vs. Otto Wallin event. Following the completion of the card, 'The Last Stylebender' extended his stay in the Middle East as he traveled to Abu Dhabi and visited the Grand Mosque on Christmas.
He posted pictures of his visit on X and captioned the post by saying:
"Mashallah Mafia‼️ We went to the Mosque, We Prayed, then I meditated. My Christmas was fun, I hope you all had a good one!!"
Upon seeing Adesanya's post, many people questioned him for visiting the Grand Mosque as he is not a Muslim. Responding to the comments, he posted a video on X where he said:
"Let me inform you my grandfather on my mom's side was a Muslim. My parents are Christian and I grew up in a Christian household. I don't really identify with any religion but I just wanna let you know, even if you're a Christian, or you're a Muslim, or you're a Buddhist, or whatever, you can go to any place and worship and tap into the energy, because let me tell you a secret, God is love."
Catch Israel Adesanya's comments below:
Israel Adesanya gives update on his return to the octagon
Israel Adesanya was last seen inside the octagon against Sean Strickland at UFC 293. In what was his fourth fight in 14 months, 'The Last Stylebender' ended up losing the bout.
A month after his shocking loss, Adesanya stated that he would be taking a break from MMA. While there is no certainty around his return as of yet, it looks like it won't take too long for 'The Last Stylebender' to return to competition.
While speaking about his return during an interview with iFL TV, Adesanya said:
"I'm taking my time... I had four fights in 14 months, as a champion. In the UFC that's unheard of. I was the most active champion, not fighter, champion in the league. So, life has forced me to take some time off. And I will. But you will see me soon."
Watch the video below from 1:08: