Israel Adesanya: UFC champion on fame, freedom of expression and boycotting New Zealand

A world-class striker, an elite entertainer and an enigma on the mic — the mention of the name Israel Adesanya elicits a number of opinions from MMA fans.

But for the 32-year-old UFC middleweight champion, the reaction he would like from people when they hear his name is far more simple.

«I'd like them to smile. Like a good feeling. Yeah, I just want people to have a good memory when they hear my name,» he tells BBC Sport.

Meeting Adesanya at a hotel in London for this interview, he reveals a side to his personality only those closest to him get to see.

Here he tells BBC Sport about the difficulties of being famous, why he believes in freedom of expression and why he will never fight in New Zealand again.

Adesanya, who was born in Nigeria but lives in New Zealand, says one of the most important lessons he has learned during his rise to stardom in the UFC is to protect his personal space and energy.

«Nobody writes a book on how to be famous and how to deal with it, so you have to write your own,» Adesanya says.

«I've watched the pitfalls of a lot of famous athletes, actresses, actors and musicians, and seen how they have dealt with it, so I've avoided being one of those tabloid stories.

»People don't care — they just want to take your peace and your time.

«Everyone needs their peace. I am a social butterfly, I'm extroverted when I want to be, but there's times I need to be with my own thoughts and be at peace with myself.»

Adesanya is one of the most dominant fighters in the world.

Nicknamed the Last Stylebender in reference to an anime character, he has held the middleweight title since 2019 and defended it five times, convincingly dispatching the finest talent the division has to offer.

His most recent win was a unanimous decision