Today, Israel Adesanya is one of the most accomplished fighters in the sport of MMA. However, success is not a new thing for Adesanya who was a proficient kickboxing and Muay Thai fighter as well. Despite his success, Adesanya often found himself in financial trouble.
In an episode of Hot Ones with Sean Evans, the host touched upon Adesanya’s father, Oluwafemi Adesanya, who is an accountant. As such, Evans asked Izzy about the best advice given to him by his father. Responding to the question, Adesanya said, “When I came back from China, he tried to get me to get a house. I’m like, ‘Oh, I don’t want the responsibility of owning a house… I’m too young.’ Stupid. Lost a lot of money.”
Thus, after making his move to the UFC, ‘Stylebender’ tried to heed his father’s advice. “Eventually, when I got into the UFC, I was like, ‘Every time I don’t listen to this man about money, I end up going broke. I should probably listen to this man.’ I listen to my gut as well.” Further, Adesanya added, “Yeah, I listen to him when it comes to money because he knows how money works.” As such, Izzy, who aspires to be a billionaire one day, realized that his father’s advice was spot on.
After making a name for himself through kickboxing in China, Adesanya made his way to the UFC. Kicking things off with an electrifying start at UFC 221 in 2018, Adesanya quickly shot up the rankings. In what felt like barely any time, Adesanya secured both interim and undisputed titles before the end of 2019.
How has Israel Adesanya spent his money after leaving China?
One of the biggest superstars in the history of the promotion, Israel became a champion at UFC 243 by beating Robert Whittaker. Further, Adesanya would go on to make 5 title defenses, securing his legacy as one of the most dominant champions in the middleweight division. Despite losing his title to Alex Pereira at UFC 281, the Nigerian-born fighter was able to recapture it with a stunning display at UFC 287.
During his reign in the UFC, Adesanya has raked in over $10 million from fight purses. As such, some sources suggest that his current net worth lies between $12-14 million. One of the highest earners and marketable fighters in the UFC, Adesanya has also profited through sponsorships from numerous brands.
Over the years, Izzy has shown maturity with regard to his spending and has been investing in a lot of real estate in Auckland, New Zealand. Previously, Israel has spoken about his lavish $800,000 home as one of his favorite purchases. Similarly, he has also acquired numerous properties and apartments in Whanganui Liverpool Street as well. Although it was one of his favorite houses, Izzy has also hinted at having rented it out and shifted to a new place.
Moreover, Adesanya has also worked on improving his brand and finding other avenues to increase his income. As such, aside from fighting, Israel also posts content on his YouTube channel, FREESTYLEBENDER, which helps boost his income even further. Thus, it would seem as though Izzy has finally taken his father’s advice and started making smarter financial decisions ever since.