UFC middleweight star Israel Adesanya recently shared a harrowing encounter with an overly aggressive fan who tried to provoke him into a street fight.
Speaking on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Adesanya recounted how he was simply trying to enjoy his day and grab a pie from a local shop when a man suddenly pulled up in a car and challenged him to fight, saying “Yo Izzy, let’s go one outs.”
Adesanya, taken aback by the request, tried to defuse the situation with humor, telling the man “Bro, I get paid millions for this. I’m not going to whoop your a*s for free.” However, this only seemed to anger the man further.
As Adesanya attempted to walk away, the aggressive fan parked his car in front of Adesanya’s vehicle to block him in. At this point, Adesanya realized the situation was escalating and asked a bystander to call the police.
“I’m glad I had patience that day,” Adesanya reflected. “If I had a bad day, it might have been different.” He noted that thoughts of his friend who was killed by senseless violence were going through his mind, making him extremely wary of engaging.
Adesanya said he tried reasoning with the man, saying “Bro, I don’t know you, whatever has happened, I don’t know you, I’m sorry.” But the aggressive fan continued ranting and even took his shirt off to flex at Adesanya as he finally managed to drive away.
The UFC star expressed gratitude that he was able to keep his cool and avoid violence, noting that as a professional he has to be extra careful about altercations that could have serious legal consequences.
“I’m glad I’m soft and I don’t like confrontation,” Adesanya concluded. “But when it’s time to get down, I will get down.” He hopes sharing this story will highlight the importance of de-escalation and avoiding senseless violence.
