VIDEO | Israel Adesanya breaks down in tears following first career UFC win

Footage has been released of Israel Adesanya breaking down in tears following his first win in the UFC back in February 2018.

It’s been a little over two years since we first saw “The Last Stylebender” make his way into the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and ever since then, he’s been unstoppable. The 30-year-old has dismantled the middleweight division, going on a sensational 7-0 unbeaten run to claim the title.

The journey began at UFC 221 in Perth, Australia when he beat Rob Wilkinson via TKO in the second round. Now, 25 months on, we can see exactly what it meant for Adesanya to finally make a name for himself in the big time.

Wow. The emotion from @stylebender following his UFC debut. pic.twitter.com/kl6YwtMxAj

— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) March 4, 2020

Alongside his coach Eugene Bareman, who Israel Adesanya credits for his success, the two are seen walking side by side in tears as they come to terms with the magnitude of the performance and how his life had pretty much changed forever.

It’s not exactly rare to see that kind of emotion from Adesanya these days, with his wins over Anderson Silva and Kelvin Gastelum serving as perfect examples of why he’s clearly so passionate about this sport.

The task that lies ahead of him this weekend is clearly a huge one as he attempts to edge past the monster that is Yoel “Soldier of God” Romero. Regardless of what happens in Las Vegas, though, the rise of Adesanya will forever be remembered as one of the most sensational introductions to the UFC that we’ve ever seen.

With four fights under his belt in 2018 and three in 2019, many are wondering what kind of schedule Israel Adesanya is going to keep in 2020. First, he needs to ensure that he comes through the bout against Romero unscathed before he can even consider taking on the next challenger Paulo Costa — who is set to be seated in the front row for Saturday’s main event.

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 3/5/2020.