UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has made a name for himself in the art of hurting people, but now, he’s focusing his efforts on helping people stay safe.
According to the New Zealand Herald, Adesanya — who was born in Nigeria but moved to New Zealand during his childhood — has committed to paying for 10,000 three-ply face masks and 1,000 eye protection face shields for healthcare workers in Whanganui, where he lived as a teenager. The fighter is also providing personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers in his current hometown of Auckland and his birthplace of Lagos.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the entire world and prompted acts of goodwill from strangers to strangers, Adesanya has a particularly strong connection with the cause he’s working toward. His mother still lives in Whanganui and works as a nurse in the emergency department at the Whanganui Hospital.
Adesanya first became the UFC middleweight champion with a win over Robert Whittaker last October. He defended his title for the first time against Yoel Romero in March, coming away with the victory via decision.
