Former UFC Middleweight Champion, Israel Adesanya looks back on the year he went from virtual unknown to controversial …
holy [Music] wow wo [Music] this is sick hold [Music] [Music] up [Music] still feels the [Applause] [Music] same people say it was fast tracked but we took our time because we wanted to make sure when we go into the UFC we could fight anyone even the champion on our first fight anyone in the world so people can say oh you go fast track R but look what I’ve been doing even if you don’t like me just literally pull all that a sight and look what I’ve done been in the company for just over 14 months to become Champion you don’t have to like me but you will respect it so Marvin matori that was interesting I’ve said this before in other interviews I picked my fights and when I say that doesn’t mean like I mean I went to din I want to fight that guy I pick my fights in the sense that before I even I even gone to the UFC I was at UFC 219 and that was at the end of 2017 um I fought some guy on that card and I remember walking past him in the hotel in The Host Hotel you know I’m just a nice guy I’m having fun I’m drinking and I was like what’s up and he just gave me this look like Stone and in that moment I was like I’m going to fight this guy and I told my coach I want to fight him next Israel a guy many Envision as a future UFC champion all the rage right now after a dominant UFC debut earlier this year tonight though here in Glendale Arizona the challenges get tougher as he faces Italian Marvin vori whenever I fight I like to look into my eyes whenever after I watch the fight and I see like this is that guy the spinning attack there just touch he’s reacting in this fight there’s a lot of things I did on the Fly cuz uh fighting the Southpaw he did some things pretty good but he couldn’t handle the Ste beautifully slips the offering from vtori and lands a flush right and vori is starting to get confused now you see it in his face he’s like okay I can’t really hit him Israel just slides out of the way of his attack vtori didn’t respect them fortif fiting respects to now Israel AR a uh the fight with Marvin victori was a a learning experience definitely but also it just it showed me that definitely I belong in the UFC because I was able like I said to to read certain things he did on the Fly I’m talking within split seconds within split seconds and yeah it just showed me like okay you’re right where you need to [Music] be [Music] figh in Las Vegas headline The Palms in my third fight in the UFC for me it was it was inspirational it made me realize like yeah I call this and I’m here now and I’m doing this for real and and that fight itself going five rounds after this said nah when he gets to deep water he’s going to quit and I showed out International fight week 2008 team live inside the Pearl at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas Nevada this is The Ultimate Fighter finale tarz versus aagna all right guys C here we go here we go 15 seconds Israel at aagna since joining the MMA World 13-0 12 finishes still undefeated and a first Main Event in very short order in the UFC he came out as though he had been in the UFC for 20 years and was waiting for his title shots yeah I remember this fight this will still be my funnest fight in the UFC it was five rounds Brad’s a tough dude and I shed a lot of my game he has been the boss he has been the bully he has led the dance and the last style Bender starting to go to work come back down the L Body kick that Hurtz and look how I tripped him over here beautiful and a lot of people like I said they were in this before this fight they were like n man it’s too soon for him R going to him [Music] up Jones thinks he’s the only one that that’s stronger than he looks people is different when you’re in the cage with me what does Brad tarz have left a late submission attempt from aagna we go the full 25 minutes at middleweight Israel I’m just getting warmed up I’m still getting warmed up a lot of people in the game they’ve been out here for like damn near 10 years and they still not doing what I’m doing so I’m just getting warmed up Dak Bronson is just one of those guys who like I said he’s been in the company for so long and he sees this young black kid up and getting I mean doing what he wished he could have done skny skny Bo over skinny I’m dring you kind of reminded me of like some high school like oh you too skinny and I was like the what do you think this is Buddy building yeah I don’t know I’m a skinny boy and [Music] walk oh you the next game right now we’re heading to uh MSG Madison Square Garden to watch the Nets versus the the yeah boys and it give me a chance to get acquainted with the uh the arena itself feel the atmosphere this was cool this was a really cool experience but then then I can see my my mind Chang my face changed on it’s like okay I’m still I’m still in here at the end of the day if I can’t fight if I can’t win this is all goes away so I got to come in here and dominate that was beautiful cuz MSG Madison Square Garden even when you walk through yourself you see the pictures of icons that have uh graced those walls that have uh danced under those lights and for a guy like Muhammad Ali who’s a legend in life and we dance under the same lights I mean that’s you know that’s a tick life te achievement here is the unflappable Israel fourth UFC appearance here tonight I swear to God the Holy Ghost called me I came through the little div SM and somehow I was just catching the vibe I was feeling it and yeah here we go this fight you can see he was shook wave goodbye to his friends and I was about to show him who’s skinny good early sign for able to stay upright right hand of aisna got brunson’s attention he’s got to be careful that aisna doesn’t set him up for a knee as he tries to do that as well he’s got to drop it he’s got to drop his oh he stunned him oh big left and right now the uppercut in the knee finish finishes and he survived oh oh he man oh another he’s lucky her beans saved them and right here hit them with the shaku shaku that’s some kiwi that’s some culture that’s a flavor that’s my J that’s the last style Bender folks they don’t know I started the game at level two they’re just loading so I got in his head and I got him to start to work and shoot I keep saying man I don’t throw in hope I aim in fire down the barrel sometimes I look at my like the way I live and I’m like what the how did I even get here I keep saying I’m just a fan I’m just a fan of the UFC and I’m a fan of MMA and somehow I ended up here it’s [Music] crazy uh fighting andon Silva was one of the best moments of my life because you know think about it if you’re a basketball player and you got to play against Michael Jordan that blow your mind so finally Anderson Silva when I was in the C AG I was cool with it but there was a moment in the third round where it kind of dawned on me like holy I’m fighting Sil says so much like that guy was and still is one of my favorite Fighters if them my favorite fighter of of all time I mean to be able to fight him for me was just like it meant more to me than winning the belt yeah this is the first time I ever meton Silva and from this moment I realized and I knew cuz look I size him up I remember this and I was like and he put me on his it was on Instagram live uh I don’t know any other H me and the good fight for you guys hear the voice so this is how the spider tricks people he doesn’t try to I don’t know if he tries to or if he does but this is how he catches people in this genu because he’s such a nice guy such a friendly guy and and I said what’s up and just his voice alone it can get you to lower your guard so I was like oh this is how it catches people in this web but not this fly all right guys it is 7: a.m. local time in Melbourne Australia uh the doors opening the first fights of UFC 234 are just hours away from Rod labor Arena and I just got off the phone with UFC president Dana White who tells me Robert Whitaker the Australian Champion is out so it goes in the fight game our main event tonight was to be the UFC middleweight Championship but Whitaker and gastam are off the card and that means Israel aagna and the spider Anderson Silva move up and we headline UFC 234 so I woke up in my hotel room and then I called Dana or he called my manager and then straight away he said you’re the main event and I was like all right let’s do [Applause] it few Fighters have had as much hype coming into a UFC debut and a career as Israel aagna he has lived up to that hype and then some as he draws the legend Anderson Silva we have witnessed his greatness for the better part of two decades and this is a guy whose credentials you truly run out of time to set up but over my left shoulder right now is the number four ranked Contender Kelvin Gastelum with a belt over his shoulder he’s going to watch the last dial bner show here fifth UFC appearance is real out of I’m doing work just touching him lightly lightly and then I got him I got him worried here and I fak I hit him with the right hook and I was trying to finish him but you have to watch watch out this is Anderson Silva just a tip I hit him with just a tip get on the outside get on the outside outside Eugene’s my guy man The Rock Le POS I got him he usually see spider Anderson Silva doing that to people and now we’re seeing outa give him a taste of his own medicine this fight people were like oh he couldn’t even finish a 40y old Anderson Silva you try to fight Anderson Silva see how you feir right hook oh Silva with the guard completely lowered and this is what Anderson needs to do make it ugly get in the under hooks get in the pocket there just levels bro this is levels for a second now a buckling leg kick from Israel well a lot of fans got to be sitting home wishing this was maybe a five rounder but this is our third and final round I have a feeling we’re going to see Israel throw a lot more in this third round oh that hurt hurt that hurt osna continues to work that lower half yeah I knew this was coming look at me I knew it was coming I said not today I’ve seen this guy I know his Playbook I mean how cool is this watching Anderson Silva go strike for strike with this man and out of just looking amazing what a striking match only person on the planet I’d hit clean not clean I’d hit and go stop doing that a lot of people believe at some point Israel adna will have that middleweight belt firmly around his waist of course Kelvin gasum and the rest are going to have a whole lot to say about that a man man you’ve been doing this for a long time UFC 19 I still remember the DVDs bro I’ve been watching you for a long time no I was never never never he gave me some words he gave me some words and I let him know I got [Applause] the hey Rob heal up quick Kelvin put that felt down terious Lee yeah honestly I’m I’m grateful for the position I’m in cuz I get to play against you know the best in the world and this is as real as it gets this ain’t EA Sports UFC you guys all play online on Playstation or Xbox I play this in real life and it’s mindblowing right so with UFC middleweight champion Robert Whitaker still recovering from surgery from that abdominal hernia that pulled him from UFC 234 title defense UFC has decided to book an inim title fight between Kelvin Gastelum and Israel ad asagna for UFC 236 on April [Music] 13th that’s what I read have any pop of my thoughts at the workout appreciate that I don’t have any pop in my shots so I’m going to lose going to find out sorry he doesn’t see it he doesn’t see any pop my shots we are about to do media scrum talk and then yeah face off soon they told me uh there was a fight opening for the in room title fight against ISRO on April 13th I was like whoo whoa whoa whoa wo that’s my day April 13th 2013 is when I won The Ultimate Fighter it only makes sense to seal that circle on that day man and get that world title around my waist on that same day I know how to use my reach very well I’ve used it my whole career and what he does I’ve seen so many times forward whole us career um everyone’s tried to take me down at some point I stuff to take down sprawl flat out and then I get back up and up here we go ladies and gentlemen for the UFC interam middleweight Championship introducing Israel adaga the last style Bender official weight 183 for style bender and his opponent Kelvin gastam official weight 184 who wants to see a fight you’re going to see a Nas whooping it’s going to be a good War guys thank you guys for coming out Atlanta Georgia for the fourth time in UFC history the Octagon is settled here in the ATL last time we were here Tyron Woodley became a firsttime champion and tonight three others get their first attempt to Ure a piece of UFC gold live from State Farm Arena in Atlanta Georgia USA this is UFC 236 and now this fight is five rounds for the Isam UFC middleweight championship of the world Israel the last style Bender araga kin the if you want to touch close now’s with time God bless oh man here we go Kelvin [Applause] gas is fighting for a piece of UFC gold for the first time in their respective careers see this fight right here was magical hard kick to the body he’s trying to draw you R he’s trying to draw [Music] you first some ever being rocked in the fight what do I do first thing take the [Music] center knock he doesn’t have any popping his punches so some adversity now for Kelvin C him up him him up he’s got to drive for it oh I remember that moment you know what I didn’t think about it my body just saw it I saw where his feet were positioned and my body just felt it good take down defense by is take down defense pick your shots shots Pi your shots nice straight right from Anna wow what a fight what a [Music] fight it took him 3 seconds to realize I was hurt cuz of my poker face he is in trouble oh man he’s hurt think he still got him hurt control control now Anna throws some offense oh everything’s skiing him instead of Landing straight on that land huge right for aagna oh my goodness huge right down fora now yeah over here I was literally just trying to kill him cuz I already signed my contract I signed my contract I was ready to go I was ready to die so if I was ready to die I was ready to kill when you’re chase the champion ship and it’s round five this is how you got to fight we have had some epic middleweight title fights and another one here oh kelvin’s in trouble spray of blood oh they can stop this fight final 10 seconds goes down oh I threw it from Heaven I was I was trying to take him out I was really trying to take him out wow every time I watch this fight I get the same feeling uh like I mean from from start to finish I just had a little taste of that feeling again but every time I watch this fight it gives me that same feeling USC middleweight champion of the world Israel the last St yeah getting chills I felt familiar when Dana wed that gold around my waist because I I’d visualized it so many times so when it happened and I had my hands in the air after an epic fight I remember and then just kind of he flips it this way boom and yeah it was cool it just felt familiar we we left ourselves in that cage talking to him you can tell like we have a a mutual respect and I said I can’t wait till do it again because I know he’s going to be one of those guys that’s going to fight his way to the top again you guys are trying to make me cry this is from my boy vdk who passed away there someone who’s more of a man than me huge come here step up I’ve planned this for so long I want to say without him my my career wouldn’t be where it is yo that’s just paying respect to the man who who made me um the best in the game you know conrat I’m I’m so proud of him honestly he’s he’s my my brother he’s like my big brother initially I didn’t give him any chance however with um passage of time and the way it was going we knew it was going to be Champion one time we knew the future was very bright and we had no choice but to support him I love my family like literally I think before um Melbourne my my brother was working like 60 hour weeks just to save up for fight to get over to Melbourne and watch me fight in Sila and my family all work hard you know we’re Nigerians so from that fight I was like all that like so I just I fly my family out now I put them up I let them you know have a good time just so I want my support system with me to to enjoy watch me fight and I mean who am I without them my creators my mom and dad my family I dis out people you didn’t make me cry though my life’s changed a lot my personal life has changed a lot um but you have to know how to move and I’ve seen this and I’ve plotted about this for years so my life has changed it’s still going to keep changing cuz I can still kind of walk down the street a little bit and you know just enjoy life but eventually I know those days are going to be gone so yeah I enjoy it while I can the records don’t mean Belt don’t mean I’ve said this many times I don’t know if you guys don’t believe me or what but for me it’s moments like that fifth round with Kelvin gastan Legacy moments that that moment in in the fight with Anders Sila after the first round with i h and with the Rock Lee stce those moments are what mean something to me because I want to create those iconic moments in history throughout forever so by the time it’s done after I fought everyone and beaten everyone they can say this is the guy he’s the one he’s the goat