The rivalry between Brazil and Nigeria in the UFC has gained a new chapter. Former middleweight champion (up to 83,9kg), Israel Adesanya, published a thread on 'X' (formerly Twitter) showing the dominance of Nigerians over Brazilians in the octagon. He also provoked his rivals, saying they won't stand a chance when other athletes born in the country 'invade' the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Adesanya shared a thread analyzing the occasions when Nigerian fighters faced Brazilian fighters in the octagon. The overall score was 8-3 in favor of Nigeria, with Adesanya contributing three wins (over Anderson Silva , Paulo Borrachinha , and Alex Poatan ) and only one loss (to Poatan in the first fight).
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“I love this thread. I can't count how many Brazilians in the UFC, but I think we have less than ten Nigerians or a little more in the UFC. I’ll tell you one thing: when Nigerians start flooding the UFC with what Kamaru and I inspired, it’s game over,” Adesanya wrote.
I like this thread.
I can't count how many Brazilians in the UFC, I'd guess there have been less than 10 Nigerians or a bit more in the UFC. I will tell you this, when Nigerians start to flood the UFC with what Kamaru and I have inspired…it’s GAME OVER‼️ https://t.co/4QnXVD3qEd— Israel Adesanya (@stylebender) December 26, 2023
Adesanya and Usman x Brazil
The post in question refers to his compatriot Kamaru Usman , former UFC welterweight champion, who also defeated four Brazilians — Warlley Alves , Serginho Moraes , Demian Maia , and Rafael dos Anjos.
Israel, who was born in Lagos and moved to New Zealand as a child, is one of the main names in world MMA today. With a record of 24 positive results and three negative results, the former champion is known for his versatile and creative fighting style, which earned him the nickname 'The Last Stylebender'.
Kamaru, who was born in Auchi and moved to the United States as a teenager, is also one of the most dominant fighters in the UFC. With a record of 20 wins and four losses in MMA, he was the welterweight champion for almost three years, until losing the belt to Englishman Leon Edwards.
The two fighters are considered the leading figures of the new generation of Nigerian athletes who are excelling in the UFC, along with other names like Sodiq Yusuff and Kennedy Nzechukwu . They represent the rise of the African country in the MMA scene, which is still dominated by countries like the United States, Brazil, Russia, and China.
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