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Nigerian-born UFC star, Israel Adesanya, has revealed what led to his decision to become a professional fighter.
This is as he also urged aspiring athletes not to follow his footsteps but to create their own path and draw inspiration from him and other celebrated athletes.
Fielding questions when he attended a Celestial Church of Christ service in Lagos, the Last Stylebender said he started fighting as a way of looking out for himself.
The fighter, who was decked in Celestial garment in a video sighted by our correspondent online, said he decided to become a professional fighter when he realised he was good at fighting.
He also highlighted the roles played by his father, saying he wouldn’t have become a fighter without his father’s support.
When asked why he took fighting as a profession, he said, “That’s a long story, but for me, I was just standing up for myself. It was what it took to learn how to fight and eventually, I realised I was good at it and I took it as a career and it worked out well so far.”
Adesanya also claimed faith has played a major role in his career, adding that after preparing for fights, he also holds onto faith.
He said, “Faith is something you have to have in this life. You can’t walk by side, you have to walk by faith. Faith has guided me a lot through my life and not just my career alone.
“I just trust in myself and trust in the high power. I trust and believe in who I am and I stand steadfast in it.”
“I prepare for my fight through training, hard work, and sometimes, you don’t know what the outcome is going to be and you just have to have faith.
“Faith is something I hold on to in life in general and it helps me in all parts of my life and even in my career,” Adesanya added.
On his advice for aspiring athletes, the last stylebender said, “Don’t try and follow in my footsteps. I’d say create your path. Get inspiration from someone like myself and what I have done and use it to further yourself in your own life.
“I feel like people trying to copy what someone’s done right now isn’t worth it. If you’re inspired by what someone has done, take that inspiration and use it in your own life.”
The Nigerian-born athlete, who arrived in Lagos last Wednesday, received a hero’s welcome despite his recent UFC 305 loss to South African fighter, Dricus Du Plessis.
