How did Israel Adesanya get gynecomastia?

When Israel Adesanya was heading into his UFC 253 fight against bitter rival Paulo Costa, fans, fellow fighters, and MMA media could not ignore the weird deformity on his right pec. It looked like a chunk had separated from the muscle mass and loosely hung beneath his skin.

Those who were aware of the condition revealed it to be gynecomastia, where a portion of a male's breast gets swollen due to hormone imbalance. Steroid use and efficacy of the anti-doping framework is one of the most debated topics in the MMA community. When it was revealed that steroid use was one of the reasons for men developing gynecomastia, a raging debate about Adesanya emerged online.

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How did Israel Adesanya get gynecomastia?

Israel Adesanya reportedly developed gynecomastia due to excessive marijuana consumption. Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Adesanya said that the visible lump in his pectoral muscle might have been caused due to him smoking too much marijuana.

“My pituitary gland was checked, hormone levels are fine, estrogen and testosterone. Yesterday we had an ultrasound and a mammogram. I had one for the first time. To be honest it might have just been unhealthy living a little bit. Like smoking weed, that’s what the doctor from the UFC said. He said I need to stop but I’m not stopping, I’m just going to slow down on the smoking weed.”

Check out Israel Adesanya's comments below:

Although there is no conclusive evidence, many people have associated Adesanya's condition with steroids. In another interview with Helwani, the former two-time middleweight champion flat-out denied the accusations of taking steroids.

""F--- no! F--- No! I'm not one of those people who needs a crutch... skills pay the bills."

The 35-year-old did not find it surprising to see people accusing him of being a steroid user after his fight against Paulo Costa at UFC 253.

"You know that Ariel with a performance like I've had, I would think I was on f-----g steroids too."

Check out Israel Adesanya's comments below:

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Israel Adesanya's gynecomastia returned before his UFC 281 clash against Alex Pereira

After the initial UFC 253 appearance, Israel Adesanya's gynecomastia continued to rapper, albeit with varying degrees in his subsequent fights. However, it became a topic of discussion once again as Adesanya was preparing for the UFC 281 clash with kickboxing rival Alex Pereira.

Tristar gym head coach and famed MMA trainer Firas Zahabi, in his UFC 281 preview video, also shared his thoughts on the recurring gynecomastia. However, he refrained from directly associating the condition with steroid use.