Jan 31, 2025 · Let's take a look and explore why Israel Adesanya once carried China’s flag and his connection to the country and its combat sports scene!

Sep 24, 2023 · UFC middleweight Israel Adesanya's history of fighting out of China with a Chinese flag and claiming to have a Chinese heart.

Aug 16, 2024 · Fans were slightly confused about Israel Adesanya's nationality when Strickland repeatedly labeled him as Chinese heading into their UFC 293 clash.

Sep 21, 2020 · He's announced as fighting out of New Zealand when he fights but he has the Nigerian flag on his walkout graphic cause that's where he's born. He calls himself a Kiwi typically but also acknowledges his Nigerian heritage and wants to take a …

Jan 27, 2025 · Well, perhaps because Adesanya is one of the few (if not only) fighters to have represented three different countries in the Octagon/ring. Yes, the Nigerian-born Kiwi has represented his native country Nigeria, his adopted home New Zealand – and even the Chinese flag during his kickboxing days.

Israel Mobolaji Temitayo Odunayo Oluwafemi Owolabi Adesanya[1] (born 22 July 1989) is a Nigerian-New Zealand professional mixed martial artist, former kickboxer and boxer. [9][10] As a mixed martial artist, he currently competes in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former two-time UFC Middleweig...

Aug 16, 2024 · Many fans started wondering if Adesanya is indeed Chinese after a video of the UFC middleweight champion holding a Chinese flag went viral.

Mar 3, 2021 · Israel Adesanya was born in Nigeria but moved to New Zealand aged 10 and now carries both flags when he fights

Feb 1, 2025 · In a candid conversation with Jazzys World TV back in 2022, Adesanya peeled back the layers of his identity, revealing how his ancestry shaped him as a fighter and as a man.

Oct 7, 2019 · When freshly minted middleweight champion Israel “The Last Stylebender” Adesanya (18-0) first emerged on the UFC stage in Perth, Australia, less than two years ago, it looked like he’d been at...