An Emotional Israel Adesanya Speaks at Black Lives Matter Rally

Many fighters and figures in combat sports have spoken out about the killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis last week. Case in point, recently an angry and emotional Israel Adesanya spoke at a Black Lives Matter event.

Adesanya proclaims he’s “pissed off”

During a rally in front of the U.S. Embassy in Auckland, New Zealand, the UFC’s middleweight champ said this (quotes via MMA Junkie).

“I’m pissed off,” Adesanya told the crowd. “Wait, hold up. How many of you walk into a store and have to put your hands behind your back just so they don’t think you’re stealing?

How many of you walk down the street and have to kind of smile and try to make you see the person who already is scared of you, you make them feel comfortable?”

And, while discussing the fact he recently moved, Adesanya reported the following.

“I just moved to a spot,” Adesanya said. “I’m at the top. I go in the elevator, three times already I’ve had to have racist, sacred white people jump when they see me, so I smile at them.

So now I gotta go to the side and let them walk through just so they don’t get scared when they see me.

“Why? Because I’m black. Just because I’m black. What did I do? I didn’t have a choice. If I had a choice, I’d still be black.”

Adesanya calls for unity

At one juncture, the renowned fighter also called for unity during this turbulent time.

“We’ve been talking for so long, we’ve been marching for so long, but it’s not about us now,” Adesanya said.

“Shoutout to all the white people, all the people of different races being here, because we need you. We need you to speak up.

We need you to say something, because like he said, I’m sick and tired of seeing those face get killed because, guess what, I see myself in them. And it’s heartbreaking. man. I’m pissed off.”

Video of Adesanya’s emotional speech can be viewed below.

As far as Adesanya’s MMA career, “The Last Stylebender” is expected to face Paulo Costa next. But, no date for the fight has been signed.