"A true pioneer in my legacy" - Israel Adesanya shares childhood picture whilst paying tribute to 'Nana Helen'

Israel Adesanya recently paid tribute to a key figure from his childhood, 'Nana Helen'.

The UFC middleweight champion posted some photographs on Instagram. The pictures show Adesanya with his family and 'Nana Helen'. The 32-year-old MMA superstar credited her for shaping him into the man he is today.

The images were accompanied by the following caption:

“A true pioneer in my legacy 💐 Not many people were welcoming to us when we moved to NZ. One of the few that welcomed us into her and Robert’s home with love was Nana Helen. After 18 years she ain’t switched up, still as loving as ever and quick witted with her words. Listening to her tell tales from the past was a blessing, she reminded me of who I’ve always been. Cherish your elders and listen when they speak, they have a lot to say.”

Israel Adesanya's last fight took place at UFC 271 back in February. ‘The Last Stylebender’ defeated Robert Whittaker to successfully defend the UFC middleweight championship for the fourth time.

The Kiwi's professional record is 22-1 and he has never tasted defeat at 185 pounds. He unsuccessfully challenged then-light heavyweight champion Jan Błachowicz at UFC 259 last year, losing the fight via unanimous decision. This remains the only blemish on his record.

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Israel Adesanya shares a story of him overcoming his fear

‘The Last Stylebender’ shared a story of how attending a New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden helped him overcome his fear. The incident took place a few days before his UFC 230 fight against Derek Brunson at the same venue.

On October 30, 2018, Israel Adesanya attended an Eastern Conference game between the Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets. He was given an opportunity to shoot the ball before the game started. Unfortunately, he contemplated it for too long and missed the chance.

On his YouTube channel, Adesanya shared the experience:

"I went to the Knicks game earlier in the week. The game is about to kick off, maybe in three minutes, and I see one of the ball guys beckoning me to take a shot. I felt like shame. I felt like I didn't want to put myself out there. F**k everyone is going to be watching me. What if I miss? I had an internal dialogue for a split second where I was like, 'You are in MSG and you get to take a shot into the hoop.' So I was like, 'Yup!' Then he goes, 'They're about to do the tip-off.' That sat with me for the rest of the week."

Adesanya stated that the next time he visited MSG, it was for Fight Night. He went for the ball without any concern of missing a shot. A few months later, he had the chance to shoot again, this time before an NBA game:

"When I was in MSG for Fight Night, I made sure I went for it... Next year, the same exact ball guy sees me. So, I tell him about the story. He's like, 'Do you want to shoot them?' I'm like, 'F**k yeah, let me shoot.' Miss! That's all good, hit me again! I sunk a few eventually."

Watch Israel Adesanya talk about the incident below (starts at 11:46):