Tag: Israel Adesanya

Israel Adesanya calls himself Stan, sniffs his hand after Eminem handshake

New Zealand’s own Israel Adesanya, who currently competes in the Middleweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the former two-time UFC Middleweight Champion, has arrived in Saudi Arabia to support Francis Ngannou in the fight against Tyson Fury.

In kickboxing, Israel Adesanya is a former Glory Middleweight Championship title challenger. As of 12 September 2023, he is #1 in the UFC middleweight rankings, and as of 24 October 2023, he is #8 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings.

On the way to pre-fight night, Adesanya met Detroit legend Eminem. The former UFC champion posted a picture with Slim Shady on Instagram story with the caption: “I identify as Stan in this moment,” while “Lose Yourself” was playing in the background. Then a video of him surfaced online where he says: “Eminem just shook my hand [sniffing the hand].”

You can watch the video below:

Israel Adesanya compared rematch with Alex Pereira to Eminem in “8 Mile”

Israel Adesanya defeated Alex Pereira in the second round to avenge his lone loss in the UFC at middleweight, pulling off a surprise knockout victory to reclaim the title at UFC 287 in Miami.

Adesanya desired a speedy rematch after losing to Pereira in November cost him the 185-pound (84 kg) championship crown that he had held since 2019.

Before the fight, during the press conference, Israel Adesanya compared this fight to Eminem in the 8 Mile movie. He even used some lyrics his Oscar and Grammy-winning single “Lose Yourself.”

“I’m down two fights in kickboxing, one fight in MMA, so I’m down three, and this is like in every movie — your one shot. This is my Eminem moment, my ‘8 Mile‘ moment. You get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow, this opportunity comes once in a lifetime, and this is it. This is it for me. Imagine what if I get it done!? What if I get it done better than he has ever done it. What if I butchered and beat the f–k out of him?!”

You can watch the interview below:

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