When Israel Adesanya spoke about seeking therapy to cope with fame-related depression after UFC debut
Israel Adesanya opened up about his battles with fame and depression when he appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience (JRE) back in 2021.
At the time, Adesanya was the UFC middleweight champion but suffered his first loss in the organization when he attempted to capture the light heavyweight title from Jan Blachowicz. The Nigerian New Zealander soon returned to form, however, as he later defended the 185lb strap in his rematch with Marvin Vettori.
Whilst speaking with Rogan, Adesanya discussed making his debut for the organization in 2018. 'Izzy' defeated Robert Wilkinson via a second-round TKO, which saw him earn a performance bonus and immediately put the middleweight division on notice.
According to Adesanya, however, he didn't enjoy the fame. The 33-year-old explained that after making his debut, he returned home and found himself depressed. 'Izzy' then revealed that he sought therapy straight away. He said:
"After my UFC debut, my after party was three hours of just 'Hi, nice to meet you'. After a while I had to go and hide...I needed 5 minutes alone. After I got home, I got a bonus, I got a nice cheque from the UFC and then I got depressed.
Israel Adesanya added:
"I'm home alone with my own thoughts and I was like 'what the f*ck bro?'. I started seeing a therapist straight away. Nobody teaches you how to be famous. There's no book about this. I've seen a lot of movies, rappers, artists, sports people fall. I'm not going to be one of them."
Catch Adesanya's comments here (4:30):
Jon Anik hails Israel Adesanya as the GOAT of the middleweight division
Israel Adesanya etched his name in history when he defeated his rival Alex Pereira at UFC 287. Not only did 'The Last Stylebender' earn his first win over the Brazilian, he also became the first two-time middleweight champion in UFC history.
Adesanya's performances and the way he carries himself has often been compared to Anderson Silva, who many consider not only the greatest middleweight of all time, but also the most talented fighter to compete in the octagon.
According to Jon Anik, though, Israel Adesanya already has a case to be the greatest. The UFC color commentator spoke with MMA Junkie, where he explained Adesanya's GOAT status, in his opinion, is due to the level of competition he has faced. He said:
"I think my opinion on Israel Adesanya as the greatest middleweight of all time is the minority opinion. Maybe it's 30%...But Adesanya, in five years, has eight championship wins in the UFC to Silva's eleven [wins]... Humbly I believe that MMA is on an incline, so I believe that this era to be deeper and better... I believe Adesanya's era has been better... I believe Adesanya is the greatest middleweight champion of all time."
Catch Anik's comments here (24:30):