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“Very Very Sad”: Israel Adesanya and Conor McGregor’s Teammate Join UFC World as “Ultimate Heel” WWE Hofer Passes Away at 81

Published 06/07/2023, 3:10 PM EDT

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UFC and WWE have always been closely related. They both sell fights and a combat sports spectacle. Ever since the Endeavour deal, the two have come under the same umbrella. A lot of MMA stars grew up watching WWE and idolizing certain wrestlers and there have even been multiple instances of borrowing their walkout music. While MMA and wrestling communities share a love for their respective art forms today, the two communities come together in grief.

In a recent Instagram post, Canadian-American journalist Ariel Helwani offered his condolences about the passing 0f the WWE Hall of Fame fighter, The Iron Sheikh. Fans of the sport and UFC fighters joined in to offer their condolences as well. The impact that the late wrestler had in WWE and in sports, in general, was huge, thereby prompting fighters like Israel Adesanya to react to the post by the journalist.

Fans and Fighters unite in saying goodbye to The Iron Sheik

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When Ariel Helwani uploaded the post about the passing of the late WWE wrestler, generations of fans of the sport assembled in the comment section to pray for him and offer their condolences.

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In fact, UFC Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and Conor McGregor’s teammate Dillon Danis also reacted to the post, acknowledging the impact the late wrestler had on the world of sports.

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A post shared by Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani)

I’ll never forget him on Kenny vs Spenny “Who’s the better wrestler” said one fan as another jumped in saying, “Man stayed in character for 50 years. Legend”. Others came forward to remember the greatness of the legendary wrestler. Comments like, “RIP Iron Sheik… he looked in a bad way for years surpised he lasted this long.“, “What a legend, the iron sheik will live on forever.”, “Respect to the legend bubba”, and “I’m gonna miss his tweets the most“, flooded in. 

David Helwani commented, “Make you humble“, offering his respects to The Iron Sheik. Another fan captured the emotions of millions by commenting, “Very very sad“. 

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UFC and MMA offer their respects to the Sheik through Israel Adesanya and Conor McGregor’s teammate Dillon Danis

The devastating news shattered millions of hearts. Among them were the UFC Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and McGregor’s teammate Dillon Danis. Adesanya reacted to the post shared by Helwani, while Danis sent out a tweet about the late wrestler, which was then deleted, to the surprise of everyone.

After Becoming First Two-Time Middleweight Champion, Israel Adesanya Shows Off Future UFC Champion

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Aged 81, The Iron Sheik passed away on 7 June, leaving behind a legacy that only a few can dream of. However, no cause of death was shared. With the world of UFC and WWE colliding, the impact was felt by fans across both sports.

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Written by:

Arghyadeep Ghosh

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Arghyadeep is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. His love for combat sports dates back to the WWF. Being a 90’s kid, he grew up fascinated by showmanship, competitive fighting, and wrestling.
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Edited by:

Anuj Jacob