When Israel Adesanya described meeting his childhood bullies after becoming UFC champion: "Three different baby mamas"
Israel Adesanya once recounted the experience of encountering his childhood bullies after becoming the UFC middleweight champion. 'The Last Stylebender' has risen to become one of the most formidable MMA fighters, but his journey was marked by early experiences of bullying and racism.
Adesanya was born in Lagos, Nigeria, but his family relocated to New Zealand when he was about 10 in pursuit of a better life. They settled in Rotorua, a town on the North Island known for its rich Maori culture. However, during his high school years, the future kickboxing champion faced relentless bullying.
The hardships Adesanya faced prompted his parents to enroll him in karate lessons, motivated by their desire to help him cope with the suffering he had experienced.
During his appearance on the JRE MMA Show in November 2019, 'The Last Stylebender' revealed that he occasionally revisits Rotorua and stays in touch with some of his childhood bullies, whom he has since forgiven. Adesanya expressed sympathy for his former tormentors, noting that they haven’t experienced much personal growth and continue to lead ordinary lives. He said:
"When I go back to where I grew up in Rotorua, and I see some of the kids who used to f**k with me, I'm like, 'I was scared of you?' Right, like literally, even when I close my eyes and visualize them, I still see them as bigger than me. But when I go back, they're like short and dumpy, with five different kids by three different baby mamas, and working at the same job for the last 12 years. And I'm just like, 'Man, you were on the first 15 rugby team, you were the man. I thought you were the man. But now I'm the man.'"
Check out Israel Adesanya's comments below (1:05):
Check out the full podcast episode below:
When Israel Adesanya reflected on being bullied by a racist kid
During an interview with the NZ Herald in March 2019, Israel Adesanya recounted a traumatic experience of being bullied by a racist kid. 'The Last Stylebender' revealed that a neighbor and classmate once came to his home, spewing racist insults.
However, the following week at school, Adesanya decided to confront the kid and stood his ground:
"He kinda walked up to me. Shorter than me as well, and I was a small kid, but he had like a Napoleon syndrome or whatever. He just came up to me and was like, ‘What up, black boy?’ And pushed me. I might have been having a bad day, and I remember I just lost it — I snapped. I just wailed on him, and I was crying the whole time. I just wailed on him until he kind of squatted down."
Check out Israel Adesanya's comments below (2:55):