Where is Israel Adesanya from?
Israel Adesanya was born in Lagos, Nigeria, on 22 July 1989. Ten years later, he and his family moved to Ghana before eventually shifting to New Zealand.
Adesanya's mother, Taiwo, is a nurse, while his father, Oluwafemi, is an accountant. The UFC middleweight champion claims to have come from a moderately prosperous family.
The Adesanyas lived in Ghana for approximately ten months. Oluwafemi and Taiwo then immigrated to New Zealand hoping to provide their kids with higher-quality education.
They settled in Rotorua city, located on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua in New Zealand's North Island. At the age of 11, Israel Adesanya attended Rotorua Boys' High School, where he was bullied. 'The Last Stylebender' referred to his early life in New Zealand as 'culture shock.'
In a column carried by Athletes Voice, Adesanya wrote:
"In New Zealand, I was one of those kids who always felt like the odd one out. If everyone was doing the same thing, I was just, ‘Nah, f**k that s**t’. I just did what I wanted to do and most times, that didn’t fit in with the status quo. I’d always go against the grain, do my own thing. If anyone had a problem with that, I didn’t care. That’s how I pursued fighting rather than study. And it’s kind of how I met my coach."
As a kid, Israel Adesanya was more interested in reading Japanese manga series such as Death Note and Naruto than competing in combat sports. However, he developed a penchant for fighting after watching one of Tony Jaa's iconic Ong-Bak movies in 2008.
Following six weeks of training in Muay Thai, 19-year-old Adesanya began his combat sports journey. He has since professionally competed in boxing, kickboxing, and MMA.
Israel Adesanya helped expand UFC's footprint in Africa
Israel Adesanya's prowess in various disciplines of martial arts eventually landed him in the UFC. 'The Last Stylebender' made his UFC debut in February 2018 and went on to become the undisputed middleweight champion before the end of 2019.
The striking genius proved his worth in the MMA world. Additionally, he became the second-ever African-born champion in UFC history. Along with former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, Adesanya has contributed tremendously to expanding UFC's fanbase in the massive African continent.
The UFC has not been to Africa so far but its top brass definitely has the ambition to do so. It will not be surprising if Adesanya headlines the historic event if it comes to fruition while he is in the game.