Nigerian MMA fighter, Israel Adesanya, reclaimed his UFC middleweight championship belt after knocking out his bitter rival, Alex Pereira, at UFC 287 in Miami, Florida.
He landed double-crushing right hands to send his 35-year-old rival to the floor, revenging three previous defeats in the hands of Pereira. The Nigeria-born New Zealander was first defeated by his arch-rival in 2016 and then in 2017.
“I hope every one of you can feel this level of happiness for one time in your life,” Adesanya said after the fight. “But guess what – you’ll never feel this level of happiness if you don’t go for something in your life. When they knock you down, if you stay down you will never get that resolve.
“Fortify your mind and feel this level of happiness. I’m blessed to feel this again and again and again.”
For his victory against Pereira, Adesanya is set to earn a paycheck of $2 million. According to Billionaires Africa, the earnings include a guaranteed payout of $1 million. Other additional earnings include sponsorships, pay-per-view earnings, and a win bonus worth almost $100,000.
Also, his $2 million payout puts his estimated total earnings at $4.1 million. Which makes him the highest-paid athlete on the UFC’s roster. Prior to that, data from Sportskeeda.com estimated his net worth at between $2.5 million and $3 million.
Israel also has an endorsement deal with an Australia-based athletics gear and apparel company, Engage. He additionally became the first MMA fighter to land a deal with footwear and apparel giant, Puma.
Born on July 22, 1989, Adesanya is the first of five children born to father, Femi Adesanya – a reputable accountant, and mother, Taiwo Adesanya – a nurse. He had his elementary education at Chrisland School, Lagos, before moving to The Bells Secondary School, Ota, Ogun State.
Growing up in Lagos, Nigeria, Adesanya participated in Taekwondo. He later sustained a fracture, causing him to withdraw from the training, and later enrolled in a martial arts class because he was frequently bullied in school while in New Zealand. “I remember a kid from school kept on riding past my house and going: ‘Go back to your country, blackinese’,” he recalled in an interview with TMZ.
Adesanya and his family had migrated to New Zealand after abandoning the initial plan to move to the U.S. following the 9/11 attack. Prior to that, his family settled in Ghana before moving to Rotorua, New Zealand, according to Storytell.
In New Zealand, Adesanya attended Rotorua High School and continued to the Universal College of Learning in Whanganui, where he enrolled in a Bachelor of Science in Computer Design. Inspired by the 2003 Thai martial arts movie, Ong-Bak, the Nigerian started kickboxing.
