Why does Israel Adesanya hate Monster Energy?

Israel Adesanya officially recaptured the middleweight title at UFC 287. Subsequently, Adesanya went for the post-fight conference after his monumental win against Alex Pereira. There, he talked about what he went through during the fight and his plans after the victory. However, Adesanya’s table had a certain thing missing. Generally, there is a Monster Energy bottle on the table during the post-fight conferences. However, Israel Adesanya has a problem with Monster Energy because of their alleged exploitative practice with fighters. This animosity may be because of a Monster energy executive called Hams Molenkamp.

Adesanya, on many media days and post-fight conferences, throws or hides any Monster Energy label. Israel Adesanya does everything possible, so Monster does not get any publicity from him. It could be hiding monster energy bottles under the table or sometimes throwing away the bottle. Some even compared Izzy hiding monster energy with Cristiano Ronaldo removing Coca-Cola bottles during his press conference. So what is Israel Adesanya’s problem with Monster Energy and how does he make money from UFC sponsors?

Israel Adesanya’s problem with Monster Energy and how he makes money from Sponsors

Monster Energy has sponsored UFC for a long time. The Last Stylebender does not have problems with the brand itself. However, some individuals in the company have used their position to promote themselves. Adesanya addressed this controversy and blamed the brand for getting fighters to behave differently during fight promotions.

He also posted his problem with Monster Energy on Twitter. While the middleweight champ hasn’t name-dropped the person, it’s common knowledge that he is talking about Hans Molenkamp. Many UFC fighters have the same problem with Molenkamp.

Molenkamp holds a very influential position in Monster Energy. He gets to decide which fighter Monster Energy can sponsor and is also known to hold back payments when his demands aren’t met.

Despite his problems with Monster, he still has other avenues to make money. As such, Adesanya has a YouTube channel that helps him with sponsors and allows him to make money. The Kiwi was the first fighter to pick up a sponsorship deal with Puma in 2020. Hence, his deal with Puma also helps him a lot. It is important to note that Adesanya is very marketable.

UFC fighters and their problems with Hans Molenkamp

Hans Molenkamp’s antics have led to many fighters disliking him. However, due to his position at Monster Energy, not every fighter calls him out. However, Dominick Cruz, after his win at UFC 259, called out Molenkamp. Cruz later explained his stand on the matter. Molenkamp has forced fighters including Cruz to interact with his page and post photos with them for fame and recognition. Monster pays a hefty sum to fighters as bonuses, and Hans decides who gets one. No fighter wants to miss out on the bonus and adheres to his demands.

On many occasions, Molenkamp has been known to terminate fighters from Monster Energy’s bonus list. This issue was further affirmed by UFC President Dana White, who has called out Molenkamp for using fighters to get clout and be labeled as ‘goofy.’ Dana White, however, clarified that the relationship of UFC with Monster remains stellar, with the fighters not necessarily having any problems with the brand itself.

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