Did Anyone Else Catch Onto Israel Adesanya's Awesome Pre-Fight Ritual?

Israel Adesanya is a special, special talent.

There's absolutely no denying that.

His fighting style inside the octagon means he's become an instant fan favourite among UFC tragics.

But it's the way he carries himself outside of the cage which has perhaps catapulted him into superstardom.

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In two short years, the sweet-talking tattoo-sporting Kiwi has gone from relative obscurity to being one of the promotion's biggest personalities.

And on top of that, he managed to successfully clinch the middleweight title just six fights into his UFC career.

It has been a meteoric rise for the 31-year-old striker, but he must now defend his 185-pound crown against Paulo Costa on Fight Island at UFC 253.

And in the build up to their highly-anticipated championship bout, countless highlight videos and promos have flooded social media and sports television channels.

But it was one video in particular which caught our eye.

With the fight just under a week away, the UFC posted a clip on their Instagram of Adesanya prior to his title fight with former champion Robert Whittaker.

The Kiwi and the Aussie went toe-to-toe in a unification fight back in October of 2019 which Adesanya subsequently won by knockout in devastating fashion.

But the eagle-eyed UFC cameras clearly picked up on something that us fans must've missed.

Just moments before the trans-Tasman showdown, Adesanya is seen pulling out an invisible notebook and writing down what appears to be Robert Whittaker's name.

Perhaps writing down the name of his next victim? Who knows.

One thing is for sure, though, and it's that its these sort of antics which UFC fanatics love.

Or if you're one of Adesanya's rivals, it'll probably rub you up the wrong way.

Either way, it's hard to deny that the Kiwi showman isn't one of the most entertaining characters in UFC history.

Topics: Robert Whittaker, UFC 253, UFC, Australia, MMA, Israel Adesanya

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry