The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

Israel Adesanya: Becoming World Champion Was The Lowest Day Of My Life

Mar 17, 2022

Israel Adesanya, the reigning UFC Middleweight champion and a master of striking, opens up about his difficult journey from Nigeria to New Zealand. He reveals how fighting became his outlet from bullying and self-doubt, and why becoming a champion didn’t bring him the happiness he anticipated. Adesanya discusses the challenges of managing fame and the importance of authentic relationships in grounding his identity. He emphasizes the significance of embracing one’s true self amid public scrutiny and reflects on his legacy and the pursuit of genuine fulfillment.

01:29:33

Episode guests

Israel Adesanya

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

1min

Journey of Self-Expression in Competition

4min

Navigating Identity and Acceptance

24min

Identity Beyond Titles: The Realities of Fame and Self-Awareness

4min

Navigating Fame and Authenticity

26min

The Importance of Keeping True Connections

2min

Navigating Relationships and Education

7min

Legacy and the Pursuit of Happiness

19min

Authenticity and Self-Expression in the Journey of a Champion

2min

Israel Adesanya is the reigning UFC Middleweight champion, and one of the meanest fighters in the world right now. But in this conversation Israel gives a glimpse on what really drives fighters on, because Mixed Martial Arts isn’t just a physical contest, it’s a mental one too.

Moving from Nigeria to New Zealand when he was still a child and different from other children in his class, fighting was Israel’s path out of bullying, seclusion, and low self-confidence. But winning alone hasn’t brought Israel happiness, in this episode you’ll find out what it’s REALLY like to be UFC World Champion. He’s so much more than that kid with a dream now. An international phenomenon, Israel brings us the exclusive on his path to the top like he’s never told it before.

Follow Israel:

Twitter - https://twitter.com/stylebender

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/stylebender

Follow me:

https://beacons.ai/diaryofaceo

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