Why did Israel Adesanya leave his home country Nigeria? Real reason behind the UFC champ's move to New Zealand

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya takes a lot of pride in his role as a positive representative of his African roots, a sentiment vividly illustrated by his remarkable rise to the zenith of sports and entertainment.

Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Adesanya previously articulated how he tapped into his primal ancestral essence to conquer the three losses (twice in kickboxing, once in MMA) he suffered against his rival Alex Pereira, a feat he accomplished at UFC 287.

'The Last Stylebender' explained that his parents decided to move to New Zealand to provide their children with better-recognized education opportunities. He recounted instances in New Zealand where highly qualified immigrants struggled to have their credentials recognized, which concerned his parents.

The family relocated to New Zealand seeking a "better life" with education prospects more readily accepted in the Western world. Adesanya stated:

“When I’m in New Zealand, sometimes I’ll be talking to a cab driver and I find out that he was a medical doctor back in Sri Lanka or back in India and then moved over to NZ or the ‘western world’ for ‘better life’ and their qualifications aren’t recognized in the western world.”

Catch Adesanya's comments below (4:30):

Israel Adesanya enrolled at Rotorua Boys' High School at the age of 10, where his interests shifted from sports to Japanese anime like Death Note and the manga series Naruto. Adesanya faced bullying in high school, which influenced his decision to pursue martial arts later in life.

Following his high school graduation, Israel Adesanya pursued a Bachelor of Science in Computer Design at the Universal College of Learning in Whanganui. At 18, he found inspiration in the Muay Thai film Ong-Bak and began training in kickboxing. Two years later, he decided to abandon his studies in favor of a kickboxing career and accumulated an impressive amateur record of 32–0 before transitioning to a professional fighting career in China.

Despite choosing a path different from academics, Israel Adesanya expressed gratitude for his parent's decision to relocate to New Zealand, noting that it worked out well for him. He acknowledged excelling in school but opted for a career in combat sports.

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When Israel Adesanya shared his thoughts on why he never fought in New Zealand

Although Australia and New Zealand have produced some of the greatest UFC fighters of the modern era, like Israel Adesanya, Alexander Volkanovski, and Robert Whittaker, the promotion has primarily held its event in Australia. Meanwhile, the UFC has visited New Zealand only three times so far.

Despite being a local star, Adesanya has never fought in the country during his time with the UFC. In an interview with Sporting News Australia in February 2023, Adesanya shared his frustration over this and shared insights on the reasons behind this:

"It's never been done from this side of the world, in this era. And, I feel like, because MMA is a relatively 'new sport,' or the f***ing word I hate, 'it's not a traditional sport,' all these Kiwi bureaucrats like to use, they don't really shine as much light on [MMA in New Zealand]. That's why we're here in Australia because your media, actually, is more MMA-friendly than Kiwi media."

He added:

"This is something that, I think, they're missing out on. And when it's, like, 20 years down the line, some people will kick themselves and be like, 'Man, we should have really put our best foot behind these guys.'"

Adesanya's teammate and UFC lightweight contender Dan Hooker, in 2021, had expressed disappointment in the country's travel restriction policies. Hooker also stated that their gym, City Kickboxing, could shift its base to the USA due to these difficulties. As a result of these incidents, Adesanya said that he had decided never to fight in New Zealand.

Check out Israel Adesanya's comments below: