I Was Broke and Sad-Israel Adesanya

Nigerian borne New Zealand UFC fighter, Israel Adesanya, also known as the Laststylebender, has revealed he was down to the last $500 after losing his Kickboxing fight to Alex Pereira in China.

Adesanya, who made the disclosure in a JRE podcast, also explained how he received a surprising lifeline in the midst of hopelessness.

The former UFC Middleweight champion disclosed that his promotion outfit suddenly stopped offering him bouts without any explanation, a situation that left him not only with just his last $500 but also in dire strait. He was in that condition not sure of where to turn.

“When I was fighting in China and I lost to Alex. They stopped giving me fights. I think, at the time, I was the highest-paid foreign fighter in China. But then they stopped giving me fights,” Adesanya disclosed.

Confused, his only option was to plead with the promotion to, at least, give him three of seven fights remaining in his contract. With no response comong, he knew he was in a desperate situation particularly because his fund was webbing, barely enough for a week's groceries. It was at that point redemption came unexpectedly and also in the form of a lifeline from his coach, Eugene Bareman who called and asked him to look up his account profile.

According to Adesanya, Bareman's largesse made him emotional, leaving him in tears of gratitude.

Adesanya's disclosure is an eye opener into the unpredictable nature of a fighter's career. It is also an insight into the need for a supportive team in moments of crisis which is often a sharp contrast to when things are moving smoothly.

Adesanya, who has suffered setbacks in recent times, including his last fight which he lost to Dricus du Plessis, says he is not about to say goodbye to the game that brought him fame and fortune. This much he admitted in an interview in The Adam Carolla Show.

Among others, he is set for at least one more fight before the year runs out or early next year.

“At the moment, I want to fight one more time before the end of this year, or early next year. But I don’t know yet. I’m just training, building off where we left off,” Adesanya revealed.

He pleaded that he should not be written off just yet as he still has lots to prove. While addressing his loss to Plessis, the former UFC Middleweight champion adduced it to a tactical error which saw him slipping.