Israel Adesanya has cemented his position as one of the top fighters in the world. ‘Stylebender’ turned a lot of eyeballs towards him when he won against his longtime rival, Alex Pereira, at UFC 287. It was one of the biggest victories of Adesanya’s career, as it made him the middleweight kingpin for the second time. However, the road to success was not an easy one for the Nigerian-born fighter. Before becoming a UFC star, ‘Stylebender’ was a kickboxer in the regional scene of China.

During that phase of his life, the UFC middleweight champion fought nearly 24 fights in 10 to 11 months. He believes that was the toughest phase of his life. Back then, Adesanya was treated as a journeyman by the Chinese promotions. This made the UFC star desperate to be considered as one of the Chinese fighters. He believes that it is hard for anyone to comprehend completely what he went through. However, he attempted to make his followers realize his inner “Chinese” dilemma through a video of a four-year-old.

Israel Adesanya tries to convey his feelings

Adesanya has previously talked about the hardships he faced when he was a kickboxer in China. Recently, he shared a video of a four-year-old throwing tantrums. In the video, the kid wanted to become a Mexican, even though in reality he is an African. He wanted to be a Mexican, as he eats the Mexican dish quesadilla. He went on to say that he didn’t want to be an African.

‘Stylebender’ shared the video to his Twitter handle where he wrote, “When I went to China and tried one.” The Nigerian fighter also added, “You wouldn’t get it.” In the wholesome video, the UFC middleweight champion tried to explain his inner feelings while he was an African in China.

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A few months ago, the champion opened up about his time in China, and the roller coaster ride of a kickboxing career.

The challenges ‘Stylebender’ faced in China

Adesanya once sat down with Emilio Urrutia to go into detail about his days in China. Back then, he once fought four times a month, and out of the four bouts he won, three by knockouts. He recalls that it was a crazy time when he was considered a journeyman for their people to beat up. However, when ‘Stylebender’ achieved some glorious victories, they understood that he is not a person they can mess with.

Adesanya also narrated how promotions back in China used to involve some shady activities. They once provided him with a locker room with poor sanitation; he recalls how there was a strong smell of urine from the bathroom.

According to him, they also used to take the fighters around the city just before their fights to tire them. Nonetheless, Adesanya has come out of those challenging situations with flying colors, and he continues to reign as one of the best fighters in the UFC.

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