ISRAEL ADESANYA believes that his UFC deal is a result his promotion of his 'value.
Before his fight with Robert Whittaker, the dominant middleweight king signed a new contract to mixed martial arts' top organisation.
Israel Adesanya, who was preparing for his fight with Robert Whittaker in the UFC, signed a new contract
deal
The details of the new deal for the 32-year old have not yet been disclosed, but it is understood that he is now the second highest-paid star in the promotion after Conor McGregor.
The Nigerian-born New Zealander is happy with his new contract terms. He believes it is a sign that the UFC is fully aware of his financial power.
SunSport interviewed The Last Stylebender about his experiences with UFC. He said that there have been many factors, and that UFC now sees my value to the organization.
"They've been a great help and have shown me their value which I truly appreciate. They are a great team and I look forward doing more business with them."
Adesanya's appeal worldwide was evident long before he was undisputed champion of middleweight in October 2019.
His rise to stardom has attracted the attention of anime and breakdancing communities to his UFC journey and the entire sport of MMA.
He answered that his appeal to the African market and his role in cracking it played a part in his new deal when he was asked.
When the UFC handed Adesanya a new deal, they were also conscious of the role he plays in the development of the rapidly-growing Oceanic market.
He said, "Even the Oceania Situation that we have going forward with myself and [Alexander] Volkanovski als champions and the team we have built over there.
"And that's why the entire world is watching because of what we do in the UFC."
Adesanya may be thrilled with his new deal but he acknowledges that the terms of the lucrative agreement are sufficient 'for now.
Adesanya, a fan favourite, retained his title as middleweight earlier in the month by winning unanimously over Whittaker at UFC 271.
He stated that he thought he did well during the fight. I wanted to do better so I was hard on myself.
"So I give myself a 7/10. "So yeah, I remember how I felt there and I felt superior [to Robert]."
Adesanya has a vision for a busy 2022 with Jared Cannonier, the 'Killa Gorilla’ at his forefront.
