"He sounded like me when I was coming up" - Israel Adesanya recalls his first meeting with Jake Paul

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya recalled his first meeting with YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.

'The Last Stylebender' stated that he saw a younger version of himself in Jake Paul when he first got to chat with 'The Problem Child.' The Kiwi recalled their first encounter and the impression Paul left on him, saying:

"...You sit back, you talk to him, no cameras, no nothing and you realize oh sh*t, he's serious! He sounded like me, when I was coming up."

'The Last Stylebender,' while breaking down the upcoming Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley fight on his official YouTube channel, spoke in retrospect as he remembered what meeting Jake Paul was like at an after-party. Adesanya said:

"I got to hang out with Jake, away from fhe party for a while and we just talked.. like no cameras, no nothing, like real sh*t. And I can tell you one thing, he's crazy! And I like it. Like for me as well, I thought it was a gimmick at first, I didn't know who he was, I was just like 'who's this Disney kid?'"

Watch Israel Adesanya talk about Jake Paul on his official YouTube channel below:

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Watch: When Jake Paul and Israel Adesanya met for the very first time

After Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. in November 2020, 'The Problem Child' approached Israel Adesanya while the UFC middleweight king was busy with interviews.

"Bro, I'm your biggest fan!" said Jake Paul to Israel Adesanya as they continued to chat.

Watch the full video of their very first meeting below:

Jake Paul's older brother Logan also looks to be a fan of 'The Last Stylebender.' 'Maverick' posted a tweet after Adesanya lost to Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259, saying:

"Always a treat watching Adesanya perform. one of the greatest of this generation #UFC259."

always a treat watching Adesanya perform. one of the greatest of this generation #UFC259

— Logan Paul (@LoganPaul) March 7, 2021