Ex-UFC Champion Israel Adesanya Denounces Israel

Former UFC champion Israel Adesanya has publicly voiced support for Palestine and expressed strong criticism of Israel, joining a growing list of athletes in the MMA world who have taken similar stances. Adesanya, a Nigerian-born fighter who spent most of his life in New Zealand, addressed rumors on his podcast with Demetrious Johnson that he had changed his name due to a connection with Israel. He vehemently denied this, stating, "I support Palestine, I don't like genocide, but I also know how strong my name is, I know who I am. These Zionist Europeans who shoot in hospitals and kill children, I don't support that."

Adesanya, who is of Nigerian descent, also commented on online speculation linking him to Israel. "The fact that people came to me and asked if I changed my name because of that. Or someone who said he was proud of me because of that. It's just internet nonsense. I am Iz-real, just like Dustin Poirier wrote it (laughs). It's on the internet so people believe it." He clarified that while he supports Palestine and opposes genocide, he does not endorse the actions of "Zionist Europeans" targeting hospitals and children.

While Adesanya has previously shown support for Palestine, this marks one of the few instances where he has specifically and unilaterally spoken out against Israel, without acknowledging the broader context of the conflict. The article describes this as a disappointing move from a widely admired fighter in the MMA community.