When Israel Adesanya's viral UFC 243 haka entry led to backup dancer getting assaulted by an ex-convict 

Israel Adesanya is among the most entertaining personalities in the UFC and is widely known to get creative with his entrances before fights. One of the Nigerian-born Kiwi's most memorable walkout performances was at UFC 243 before he defeated Robert Whittaker in a middleweight title unification bout.

The UFC 243 pay-per-view (PPV) event took place on October 6, 2019, at the Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia. For his walkout performance, Adesanya roped in three backup dancers dressed in camouflage with their faces covered. They performed a routine before transitioning into a haka before Adesanya joined them for some dance moves and a cartwheel.

The night ended quite well for Israel Adesanya, who beat Robert Whittaker via second-round KO to become the undisputed UFC middleweight champion. However, a former inmate brutally assaulted one of his backup dancers in the aftermath of the event.

According to the Daily Mail, the 28-year-old victim was an off-duty prison guard and dancer. While he escorted Adesanya into the ring with his face covered, he was recognized by one of Parkville Youth Justice Centre's former inmates.

After being identified, the victim was followed as he walked towards Southern Cross Station in the evening and was assaulted by multiple entities. The backup dancer suffered minor physical injuries but was left with severe mental and emotional trauma. The Victoria police have been investigating the attack.

---

Israel Adesanya names CKB teammate Alexander Volkanovski as his MMA 'GOAT'

It's no secret that Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski are the best of friends. The two UFC champions also train together at the City Kickboxing Gym (CKB) in Auckland, New Zealand. 'The Last Stylebender' recently named his fellow CKB teammate as the greatest MMA fighter of all time.

Volkanovski made his UFC debut in November 2016 and soon established himself as one of the most dangerous contenders in the featherweight division. After beating Max Holloway for the title at UFC 245 in December 2019, 'The Great' successfully defended the championship five times. He holds the record for the second-longest win streak and the second-most title fight wins in divisional history.

In a recent UFC 293 media day presser, Israel Adesanya was asked where he ranked himself among the all-time greats. He replied:

"I was chasing that, I was chasing the greatest of all time, and I still think I’m one of the greatest of all time, but I put Alex Volkanovski as the greatest of all time in my eyes. I see the work he does, he’s my buddy, I love the way he fights, and he’s one of my favorite fighters in history."