Israel Adesanya, a Nigerian-born UFC fighter, has explained what inspired him to pursue a professional fighting career.
This came as he urged prospective athletes not to follow in his footsteps, but to establish their own path and draw inspiration from him and other notable athletes.
In a video posted on X on Thursday, the Last Stylebender said he started fighting for self-protection while fielding questions at a Celestial Church of Christ service in Lagos.
The fighter, who was dressed in a Celestial outfit, stated that he chose to become a professional fighter after realising he was good at fighting.
He also emphasised the influence of his father, stating that he would not have been a fighter without his father’s backing.
When asked why he took fighting as a profession, he said, “That’s a long story, but for me, I was just standing up for myself. It was what it took to learn how to fight and eventually, I realised I was good at it and I took it as a career and it worked out well so far.”
Adesanya also stated that faith has played an important role in his career, adding that when preparing for fights, he also relies on faith.
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He said, “Faith is something you have to have in this life. You can’t walk by side, you have to walk by faith. Faith has guided me a lot through my life and not just my career alone.
“I just trust in myself and trust in the high power. I trust and believe in who I am and I stand steadfast in it.”
“I prepare for my fight through training, hard work, and sometimes, you don’t know what the outcome is going to be and you just have to have faith.
“Faith is something I hold on to in life in general and it helps me in all parts of my life and even in my career,” Adesanya added.
On his advice for aspiring athletes, the last stylebender said, “Don’t try and follow in my footsteps. I’d say create your path. Get inspiration from someone like myself and what I have done and use it to further yourself in your own life.
“I feel like people trying to copy what someone’s done right now isn’t worth it. If you’re inspired by what someone has done, take that inspiration and use it in your own life.”
