“The China Joke Still Has My Sides Hurting…”: With Just 3 Days Left for UFC 293, Israel Adesanya’s New “Chinese” Look for His Fight Against Sean Strickland Has the Fans in Frenzy

Israel Adesanya, the Nigerian-born New Zealander mixed martial artist, competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the current UFC middleweight champion. He has had five successful title defenses as well in his career. Adesanya is a striker with a diverse and technical striking arsenal. He is widely considered to be one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

He is known for his flashy kicks and combinations, as well as his ability to switch stances. He is also known for his sharp, brusque speech. After Dricus Du Plessis pulled out of the fight due to an injury, his title defense opponent is now Sean Strickland. However, parallel to the fight, another narrative has been taking center stage related to ‘Izzy’s nationality.

Israel Adesanya speaks on the allegations

The Nigerian-born mixed martial artist moved to New Zealand, where he picked up fighting. However, there is a rumor of the ‘Stylebender’ having ties to China. While this is partially true, Sean Strickland seems to be fixated on aspects of it. In an episode with Joe Rogan on his podcast, Strickland called ‘Izzy’ “Chinese”. The event has spread like wildfire in the MMA community, with fans holding on to this interaction.

Israel Adesanya has accepted that he has been in China before. In fact, a portion of his fighting career happened there according to him. ‘The Last Stylebender’ fought in Chinese promotions and earned recognition before his career in the UFC. During his stint there, he also received the nickname ‘The Black Dragon’. However, when ‘Izzy’ took to Instagram to reveal his new look for the bout, fans were quick to comment on his red shorts.

Fans react to ‘Izzy’s “Chinese” identity

The picture uploaded by Adesanya shows him in red shorts, a color people have humorously associated with the Chinese flag. The picture was captioned, “Last time he was the #BlueBeastThis time he is the #RedMist”. Some fans predictions about how the ‘Stylebender’s entrance would go: “Bros gonna walk out with the Chinese flag”; “he had walk out to the national anthem of china and knock out strickland”. Another fan made a snide remark and said, “Pride of China 🇨🇳.”

Read More: “I Respect That” – Despite Abusive Barrage on Chinese Connection, Israel Adesanya Expresses a Change of Heart for UFC 293 Rival Sean Strickland

One self-proclaimed ‘Izzy’ fan declared, “Bruh as an Izzy fan, the China joke still has my sides hurting”. Another fan referenced his stint in China: “The black dragon 🇳🇬🇨🇳”. More fans commented: “Izzy the best troll with the Chinese theme Strickland is gonna be like”; “My favorite Chinese African Auckland fighter”. Meanwhile, one fan chose to stray away from the “Chinese” narrative: “please go easy on him israel”.

Fans can’t seem to have enough of the Chinese connection, but we’ll have to wait and see who has the last laugh on September 9. ‘Izzy’ or ‘Tarzan’? Which way do you think the fight will turn out? Let us know in the comments below.

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