Israel Adesanya isn’t discussing belts these days. He’s talking about laws. During a live Google Meet session with fans—later shared on his YouTube channel—the former UFC middleweight champion found himself discussing something far more serious than fight talk.

The discussion centered on the tragic death of a former friend and teammate, a loss that forced Adesanya and others in New Zealand to join hands and fight against the rising cases of sucker punches, aka “king hits.” When a fan mentioned Adesanya’s work with the charitable organization ‘Walking without fear’ and cited the growth in so-called king hits, ‘The Last Stylebender’ did not hesitate to share his honest take on it.

Israel Adesanya seeks justice for fallen friend

“There’s nothing kingly about that,” Israel Adesanya asserted firmly. “If you see someone and you’re b—- enough to sneak up on them, then you’re a b—-, you’re a s—–, you’re f—— lower than dirt.

“There’s nothing high and mighty about that.”

For the unaware, Israel Adesanya was talking about his City Kickboxing teammate, friend, and rising MMA prospect Fau Vake, who died after being attacked outside a bar in Auckland, just before 3 am on 16 May 2021. Following a series of punches from others while they held the fighter’s hands by his side, Daniel Havili punched Vake in the side of the head.

As a result of the blow, Vake collapsed backward and hit his head on the asphalt. His skull was fractured, causing brain bleeding. And while he underwent surgery, the injuries were too grave, and the fighter passed away at the hospital nine days later.

While Havili received two years and nine months in prison for manslaughter. Ofa He Mooni Folau, one of the four men charged in the attack, wasn’t charged with causing Vake’s death. He pled guilty to assault with intent to injure and was sentenced to six months of home detention rather than prison. The sentence handed down in the case still pains Adesanya.

“The guy only got house arrest,” Adesanya said. “They got put on house arrest while everyone’s on lockdown. So we’re all on f—— house arrest. So how the f— is that gonna count on his sentence?

“Anyway, we’re trying to change the laws so that way you sucker punch someone, you get 15 to 20 years maximum. So I appreciate you speaking out about that, and yeah, we’re never gonna stop.”

The pain hasn’t faded for sure. In previous interviews, Israel Adesanya has spoken about Fau Vake’s daughter asking her father to wake up in the hospital. Seeing such heartbreaking visuals, ‘The Last Stylebender’ feels the violence is only getting worse.

Now he wants deterrence. ‘Walk Without Fear,’ the charitable trust established in the fallen fighter’s memory, has also called for stricter punishments, describing it as a step toward true accountability. So hopefully, the judicial system will take note and bring some major changes in its ruling against such cases.

It is worth noting that for Israel Adesanya, this isn’t the only fight that might be on his mind, as the former UFC middleweight champion gears up for his massive return after almost a year away from the ring. So, will he be able to concentrate fully on this massive homecoming? Well, one UFC analyst believes ‘The Last Stylebender’ will have something to prove in his first UFC fight in over a year.

Din Thomas expects to see Adesanya’s threat on full display

While Israel Adesanya continues to push for change outside the cage, he faces a different kind of pressure inside. Nearly a year after his last fight and on a three-fight skid, many are questioning where he stands ahead of his clash against Joe Pyfer at UFC Seattle. But if you ask Din Thomas, he believes this return could bring out something dangerous.

“He’s still ‘The Stylebender’, and I think he’s as dangerous as he’s ever been,” Thomas said on The Bohnfire podcast. “I think that he might even be more dangerous now knowing that he can’t lose this one, and he has to prove that to himself.

“We know how dangerous he is when he sets his mind to something. (When he) wanted to beat Alex Pereira; that was his main goal in life at one point, and what did he do? He knocked Alex Pereira out.”

‘The Last Stylebender’ himself has revealed he is nearing the end of his career, claiming he can see the finish line. But that awareness doesn’t necessarily mean decline.

For Thomas, it represents intent. And if that intent sharpens Israel Adesanya’s focus in the same manner it did previously, the version heading into Seattle may not look like a fading former champion at all, but rather a guy with something to prove.