Israel Adesanya finally reveals why he ditched the pink hair look before UFC 253
Advice from father led Israel Adesanya to scrap pink hair before UFC 253
In early August, images and video surfaced on social media of UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya sporting a new look, dying his hair pink, that caught plenty of people off guard.
But in the days leading up to UFC 253, and at the event itself, Adesanya was back to his natural black hair look as he successfully defended his title against Paulo Costa.
Israel Adesanya reveals why he stopped pink hair look ahead of UFC 253
During the UFC 253 post-fight press conference, Adesanya revealed it was the words of his father that convinced him to get rid of the pink-hair look.
None of it had to do with looking silly or any negative reception about the look, however. According to Adesanya, his father claimed the brightness of the pink hair would be a disadvantage for him — even if he were to damage Costa’s vision.
“My dad…he said I’m going to blind him with my jab,” he said. “And when he’s compromised in one eye and I take the other eye out, if he sees a pink hue, he’ll still know where my head is. He’ll know that’s where my head is, and he’ll just aim for the pink hue. So I was like, ‘You’re right.’ And like a good boy, I listened to my dad. He’s a smart man.”
Fortunately for Adesanya, he made easy work for Costa, needing just two rounds to finish him off in dominant fashion.
Adesanya now turns his attention to the Robert Whittaker vs. Jared Cannonier bout scheduled for UFC 254 on Oct. 24, which may help determine the next challenger to his title. He predicts that Cannonier will handily win against the former champ and welcomes that fight; however, he adds that he’ll make quick work of Whittaker again if it comes to it.
Adesanya knocked out Whittaker at UFC 243 to become undisputed middleweight champion.
“I think that Jared is going to dust Robert Whittaker, and I look forward to fighting him. What we said in the DMs, he said he wants to get it done like Naruto and Sasuke, and I said, ‘I look forward to that.’ I think he’s going to get it done; I’m rooting for him. But, if Robert Whittaker wins and he wants to get knocked out a third time, I can do that, too.”
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