Former two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champion Israel Adesanya credits his long tenure at City Kickboxing for developing the thick skin that has carried him through the highest pressures of elite mixed martial arts. Opening up about his formative years and the environment within his former gym, the superstar striker revealed that navigating relentless verbal jabs and cultural challenges ultimately prepared him to handle the intense scrutiny of global fight promotion.
Adesanya, who spent 16 years training full-time under the banner of the renowned Auckland-based gym starting in 2010, recently discussed how the demanding atmosphere served as a testing ground for his mental fortitude. Speaking candidly on his YouTube channel, the elite combat sports athlete explained that the insults and friction he experienced from certain individuals within the facility acted as effective conditioning for the pressures waiting outside the gym walls.
"You know what it’s like being black in New Zealand? Also, being at CKB, the amount of shit that it was…" Adesanya shared in the video. "Good practice. I liked it because it was good practice, because I was like, okay, cool, if I can take the amount of insults I get in this gym from these certain people, then I can go to a press conference, or whatever, and shit wouldn’t bother me, and I’d be able to fire back. So, it was good practice, but I’ve got thick skin, and I don’t let anything in, but I’m human."
The fighter, widely known by his moniker "The Last Stylebender," hinted that growing up as a Black man in New Zealand, combined with the intense interpersonal dynamics inside a world-class fight gym, forced him to adopt an unshakeable exterior. While he acknowledged that the constant barrage of negative commentary could wear on anyone—reiterating that beneath the superstar persona he remains a human being—he ultimately frames the experience as a vital catalyst for his professional success. By facing hostile remarks in the gym on a daily basis, Adesanya learned how to deflect external noise, stand his ground during chaotic media events, and deliver sharp verbal retorts without letting opponents or critics compromise his mental focus.
Why Israel Adesanya considers the negativity at his former gym useful
For a professional athlete competing at the pinnacle of combat sports, the psychological battlefield often matches the physical one. Adesanya noted that the insults he endured from select members of City Kickboxing were difficult to digest at times, yet he chose to accept them as part of a rigorous mental conditioning regimen. Rather than avoiding the friction, he utilized it to build emotional armor.
In the high-stakes environment of Ultimate Fighting Championship press conferences, fighters are routinely subjected to verbal attacks, hostile crowds
, and intense media scrutiny designed to rattle their composure. According to Adesanya, walking into those high-pressure situations with a history of absorbing internal hostility gave him a distinct advantage. Because he had already faced intense testing behind closed doors with his peers, external criticisms from rivals and media members failed to penetrate his focus. This psychological detachment allowed him to remain composed, articulate, and completely unfazed when the cameras rolled and the spotlight burned brightest.
A major chapter in the career of the former champion concluded this past May when Adesanya officially parted ways with City Kickboxing after a decade and a half of historic partnership. The departure marked a significant turning point for the iconic striker, who defined an era of middleweight dominance while training under the CKB banner alongside elite teammates and coaches.
Following his exit from the gym where he built his legendary legacy, Adesanya embarked on a fresh chapter in his professional journey. He transitioned to training with a close-knit team at Unity MMA, operating under the guidance of head coach Andrei Paulet. This strategic realignment represents a renewed focus as the veteran fighter looks to recapture the championship form that once made him one of the most feared and dominant forces in the sport.
Adesanya currently holds a professional mixed martial arts record of 24 wins and 6 losses. As he prepares for his next high-profile assignment, he finds himself navigating a challenging stretch in his career. The former champion enters his upcoming matchup seeking to reverse a difficult four-fight skid, a rare stretch of adversity for a competitor who spent years ruling over the middleweight division with near-untouchable precision.
The resilient striker is scheduled to step back into the Octagon to headline UFC Saudi Arabia on December 5. In that upcoming main event clash, Adesanya will face Sharabutdin Magomedov, who boasts an impressive professional record of 17 wins and just 1 loss. As he prepares to test himself against another dangerous and rising contender, Adesanya carries with him the hard-earned lessons and psychological endurance forged through years of intense training environments, ready to prove that his competitive fire remains as bright as ever.
