A spectacular debut can change everything overnight. For Israel Adesanya, his introduction to the UFC spotlight came with a knockout victory, a six-figure paycheck, and a $50,000 bonus—a dream start that most stars can only imagine. But behind the celebration and fanfare, Adesanya discovered that sudden fame brings challenges few are prepared to face.
“I went home and I just f**king crashed,” Adesanya revealed during an appearance on the Pound4Pound podcast with Henry Cejudo and Kamaru Usman. “For me, that is when I started going to therapy because I started to understand this is bad, I should not feel sad. You feel guilty for feeling sad.”
The former middleweight champion described how the whirlwind of success brought a rush of attention—cameras, photographs, interview requests, and brand opportunities—followed by an unexpected emotional crash once he returned to normal life. The comedown from the high of fame left him struggling with feelings he couldn’t immediately identify.
Therapy became a crucial part of his journey, helping him navigate the complex emotions that accompanied his rapid rise to stardom. Since then, “The Last Stylebender” has experienced even greater heights of fame and success in the UFC, though recently he’s faced a challenging period with three consecutive losses.
At 35, Adesanya has been reflecting on his approach to competition. He acknowledges that during his championship reign in the middleweight division, he was fighting three to four times annually—a pace he now recognizes isn’t sustainable.
“I used to get bullied a lot as a kid,” Adesanya shared, discussing his desire for a rematch with Sean Strickland, who defeated him at UFC 293. “So he’s an embodiment of that, in a sense. He attacked the young me, the inner child. So I just want to protect him and get some payback for him.”
Adesanya candidly admits that Strickland dominated their first encounter: “He whooped my ass. Five-nil.” But after some time away from competition and training sessions with Kamaru Usman, Adesanya feels reinvigorated and ready to return to the octagon.
Despite no longer being a title contender, Adesanya’s competitive fire remains, particularly when it comes to settling the score with Strickland. The former champion is being selective about his next moves, focusing on meaningful matchups rather than maintaining the demanding schedule of his championship days.
