UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is not pleased with the way the New Zealand government has treated him and his camp, City Kickboxing, during the countries current COVID-19 lockdown.
Adesanya made the following comments on his YouTube channel about New Zealand's MIQ (managed isolation quarantine) system and the complications it's caused for the team in helping UFC lightweight contender Dan Hooker prepare for his fight against Nasrat Haqparast at this Saturday night's UFC 266 event.
"The constant effort to stifle, break up and disrupt our team, City Kickboxing, from helping our team captain get ready for his fight, that's pissed me off the most," Adesanya said (h/t Newshub). "I already know they don't like me, the bureaucrats of this country. 'Oh, he talks too much, he's not humble enough, he doesn't represent a true Kiwi'. That's a built-in excuse. Also, they're racist, they don't want a black boy representing New Zealand, but Dan drapes this country over his shoulders. He puts this country on his back."
He continued on to make the following declaration about never wanting to fight in New Zealand ever again over the countries government's continued harassment of City Kickboxing and the difficulties they've provided for the team.
"You will never see me fight in New Zealand ever again," Adesanya said. "All that money, they can get it from somewhere else. Their rugbys, their crickets, and all the others they're giving exemptions to, but you will never ever see me fight on these shores [again]. That was one of my dreams, to headline a stadium in my backyard. That dream's dead in the water, that's just the way I feel right now"
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