"Pain is my friend" - Israel Adesanya shares brutally honest account on his heritage and why he strives to protect it

Israel Adesanya has revealed why it's so important for him to protect his heritage amidst his bitter rivalry with Dricus du Plessis.

The two UFC middleweights are expected to meet inside the octagon later this year following the South African fighter's stunning victory over Robert Whittaker at UFC 290. The pair even faced off in the cage following du Plessis' win, and both men exchanged heated words in preparation for their showdown.

The sour relationship between Adesanya and du Plessis started back in March when 'Stillknocks' was asked about his title aspirations. At the time, the 29-year-old stated that his desire was to become the UFC's first 'real' African champ, as he was born there and still lives and trains there.

'The Last Stylebender' took significant issue with the South African's comments, firmly believing that just because he was born in Nigeria but moved to New Zealand doesn't make him any less African.

Israel Adesanya doubled down on his stance on Twitter, giving an open and honest account of why he feels so strongly about his African Heritage.

The 33-year-old responded to a fan post explaining that he faced a lot of racism when he moved to New Zealand as a teenager. According to Adesanya, he has felt that "pain" his entire life, which is part of the reason he connects more to Nigeria.

He tweeted:

"PAIN. Pain is my friend. I've known him my whole life."

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Israel Adesanya explains why heel turn at UFC 290

Israel Adesanya recently clarified the reasons behind his anger and his language during his UFC 290 face-off against Dricus du Plessis.

'Stillknocks' put the division on notice by handily dismantling Robert Whittaker, finishing the No.1 ranked middleweight in the second round. After getting his hand raised and speaking to Joe Rogan, Adesanya was invited to the cage, and the pair immediately squared up to one another.

Both men traded insults, but 'The Last Stylebender' could be heard using racial slurs. This week he spoke on his YouTube channel about the incident and gave fans some insight into why he used the language he did. Adesanya said:

"He [du Plessis] worked hard. I manifest for myself and I make sure I do the work to get that manifestation right... Even at the prep time [before going inside the octagon], I was giving him [du Plessis] energy, like positive affirmations. But yeah, when it happened, I just lost my sh*t."

Catch Israel Adesanya's comments here (4:15):