Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has revealed he declined roles in two major Hollywood blockbusters to focus on his MMA career during his title reign.
In a conversation shared on his YouTube channel, Adesanya disclosed that he turned down opportunities to appear in both “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and “Creed II” while he was at the peak of his MMA career.
“While I’m fighting, if I decide to take, I don’t know, three months to go film a film. It would f*** my [schedule] up,” Adesanya explained. “While I was, especially on top, champion, [I wanted to keep] defending my belt.”
The revelation came as a surprise to his interviewer, who responded with disbelief: “Bro! Wakanda forever? I know. God damn!”
Adesanya emphasized that his decision wasn’t due to lack of interest in the film projects, but rather his commitment to maintaining his focus as UFC champion.
“It’s not because I didn’t want to do it. I just knew I had to focus on the task at hand,” he said.
This isn’t the first time Adesanya has mentioned declining Hollywood opportunities. Prior to his title loss to Alex Pereira at Madison Square Garden in November 2022, he had previously disclosed turning down a role in Michael B. Jordan’s “Creed II,” which was released in 2018.
Despite putting his potential acting career on hold, Adesanya hasn’t been completely absent from the screen. His remarkable journey in combat sports became the subject of a documentary titled “Stylebender,” released in 2023.
The Nigerian-born contender remains one of UFC’s biggest stars despite recent challenges in the octagon. His dedication to his combat sports career over Hollywood opportunities shows the discipline that made him a two-time UFC middleweight champion and one of the most active champions in the organization’s recent history.
