"That was the first PPV I watched live" - Israel Adesanya reveals which UFC event made him want to be a fighter
Israel Adesanya recently revealed the first UFC pay-per-view event that made him want to become a fighter. 'The Last Stylebender' spoke about it on GQ Sports' all-access tour of the UFC headquarters in the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Adesanya has emerged as a luminary in recent times. He penetrated mainstream media with his pop culture references and charismatic enigma.
BAH GAWD THAT'S THE UNDERTAKER'S MUSIC! 💀
@stylebender with another EPIC walkout! 🤌
#UFC276 https://t.co/aXXUp4v4lg
The 33-year-old combatant revealed that watching his idol Anderson Silva made him want to be a fighter:
"UFC 90, Anderson Silva vs. Patrick Cote. That was the first pay-per-view I watched live. And I was like, 'Yo, I'm skinny and black too. I can whoop some a**.'"
Anderson Silva won the fight against Patrick Cote at UFC 90 after a horrific knee injury in the opening seconds of the third round.
Watch the video from 11:20 on GQ Sports below for Israel Adesanya's answer:
Israel Adesanya names Anderson Silva and Demetrious Johnson as his top two UFC fighters of all time
Israel Adesanya has expressed his admiration for Anderson Silva several times in the past.
While speaking to featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski ahead of his fifth title defense fight against Jared Cannonier at UFC 276, Adesanya named Demetrious Johnson alongside 'The Spider' as his top two pound-for-pound fighters in the UFC:
“Okay, it’s between ‘DJ’ [Demetrious Johnson] and Anderson Silva. Just, I feel like he’s slept on… He’s so slept on in the history because… I don’t know why. I think it’s the meatheads look at a guy like that and think in their head, like when they say the lighter guy fight they think, 'Oh nice, I’ll just pick him up and learn that you know.' I think it’s that mentality… Okay, Demetrious and Anderson, I’ll give my top two."
Watch the video from 5:20 below:
Anderson Silva famously passed the torch onto Israel Adesanya after their motion picturesque fight at UFC 234. Both fighters displayed a wide array of skills in their arsenal as they battled it out for three rounds. The ending visual is an iconic moment in UFC history when both fighters bowed down and expressed their mutual admiration for each other.
Chills.
When idols become rivals. #UFC234 https://t.co/ck4YW0S1HD