“The middleweight division needs me,” Israel Adesanya cites AVATAR reference on his comeback to UFC after brief hiatus

Insights into Israel Adesanya's journey, his ties to 'Avatar: The Last Airbender,' and his anticipated UFC return in 2024.

“The middleweight division needs me,” Israel Adesanya cites AVATAR reference on his comeback to UFC after brief hiatus

Israel Adesanya made Avatar reference about his comeback (Image via: IMAGO, Instagram)

Israel Adesanya is one of the dominant forces in the UFC’s middleweight division. However, he had lost two of his past three in the division. His recent loss to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 made him take a short break from the sport. Even though Adesanya lost to Alex Pereira at middleweight, Strickland was the first opponent who dominated him.

After losing to Strickland, Adesanya announced that he would take a break and jokingly referenced a 2027 return. However, he rescinded the hiatus and flirted with a comeback at UFC 300. Unfortunately, it did not materialize. Nonetheless, Adesanya stated on Theo Von’s podcast, This Past Weekend, that he will return in 2024 to make his comeback. This is what he said.

I love that show (Avatar: The Last Airbender); I grew up on that show, so for me, I got the name because I felt in this realm. I want to master all the elements of martial arts and realize my destiny as the Avatar, and I felt like I was the one. So, I have, and I'm still doing it, and now, you know, the middleweight division needs me again.
Israel Adesanya via This Past Weekend
YouTube video

Adesanya’s fight nickname is ‘The Last Stylebender,’ which is a homage to the series. The anime series recently had a live-action Netflix remake, and Adesanya spoke of it on the podcast as well. Like many of his UFC contemporaries, the former middleweight champion is a big anime fan.

Adesanya also revealed that he gave the green signal to fight at UFC 300, but Dricus Du Plessis did not. He stated that Du Plessis sustained injuries from his fight with Sean Strickland at UFC 297. Nonetheless, Adesanya revealed that he will fight both Du Plessis and Strickland in the future.

Israel Adesanya on his life in Nigeria

Israel Adesanya was born in Nigeria and lived in Ghana before his family relocated to New Zealand. Adesanya has since become one of the biggest superstars in the Kiwi nation. In his appearance on Theo Von’s podcast, Adesanya spoke of his early childhood in Africa. He had earlier faced scrutiny on social media for his apparent rich lifestyle in Africa.

Israel Adesanya
Israel Adesanya (Via Sports Illustrated)

In the podcast, Adesanya revealed that he was born into an accomplished family, as his father was a top-notch accountant. However, ‘Stylebender’ also revealed that he did not have a luxurious lifestyle. Even though he had a rich family, his father made him do household chores and other activities. His father did it so that his son would stay grounded and humble. Adesanya cited that it greatly influenced him, particularly in his fighting career.

Moreover, he also spoke of the significance of his father in his fighting career. As an accountant, his father helped him when he had to sign contracts with fight promotion. In addition to his father, Adesanya is also very close with his younger brother, David.

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