Israel Adesanya, the former UFC middleweight champion, was once a formidable fighter in the promotion. However, his trajectory in the UFC took a drastic turn after his defeat against Sean Strickland. Despite this loss, Adesanya remained optimistic about moving up. Surprisingly, his motivation stemmed from the popular comedian and actor Dave Chappelle.
Israel Adesanya recently appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. Host Joe Rogan discussed various interesting topics with Izzy, including the buzzing P Diddy controversies. However, amidst that, Rogan asked Adesanya if he would be interested in seeking revenge for his consecutive losses. Adesanya responded positively, stating that those losses hadn’t shattered his determination to fight again.
That fight (Strickland vs. Adesanya) was not me and again I don’t make excuses. It was just another Dave Chappelle quote… He (Dave Chappelle) is such a f*cking philosopher with the day, he said something about like when it‘s your time you have to know when it and be humble enough to know when it’s someone else’s, you know what I mean…
Israel Adesanya via JRE MMA Show #164
Adesanya credited popular comedian Dave Chappelle for indirectly helping him move on from losses. The initial defeat was against Sean Strickland at UFC 293. The American fighter comfortably outstruck the Kiwi fighter with his clinical jabs throughout the 25-minute fights. This resulted in a unanimous decision victory for Strickland. Adesanya’s most recent loss came against his fellow African fighter, Dricus Du Plessis.
The South African came into that fight after winning the belt from Strickland. Izzy was seemingly motivated to reclaim his throne again. However, that didn’t happen as, for the first time in his UFC career, Adesanya suffered back-to-back losses. During the podcast episode, Adesanya also mentioned that the defeat against Strickland was harder to take, and Chappelle’s quote helped him through that.
When Israel Adesanya was ‘starstruck’ by Dave Chappelle
Dave Chappelle is unquestionably one of the most prominent comedians in the industry, with a substantial amount of respect in Hollywood. Chappelle has been in showbiz since the 1990s and has appeared in numerous TV and comedy shows. Interestingly, the former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya once had the chance to meet the popular comedian and attend one of his shows.
Adesanya is also a popular MMA superstar who often receives attention from his fans. However, Izzy found himself on the other side when he met Dave Chappelle a year ago. The ‘Last Stylebender’ couldn’t contain his excitement and tweeted about his encounter with Chappelle. In the tweet, Izzy mentioned how he unexpectedly met the comedian and was clearly “starstruck” at the time.
Just met Dave Chappelle and now we cool… I’m starstruck!!! Yes I am!!!
Israel Adesanya via X (@stylebender)
Just met Dave Chappelle and now we cool…I’m starstruck!!! Yes I am!!!
— Israel Adesanya (@stylebender) February 18, 2023
Chappelle is an icon, and it’s natural for someone like Izzy to feel overwhelmed by the comedian’s presence. Not only that, but the way that Chappelle has impacted Adesanya’s career for a brief moment shows what Izzy feels about him.
