Israel Adesanya knows the importance of paying it forward.
The Kiwi UFC star has burst onto the international sporting scene in a big way over the past few years, storming through the middleweight division on his way to claiming the title and defending it several times.
Making as big a splash on the scene as he has done, Adesanya has become one of the UFC biggest stars – and has been compensated accordingly.
But while many have seen the 32-year-old enjoy the fruits of his labour in the form of sports cars and jewellery across his social media platforms and have snapped to judgments, Adesanya has revealed there are things he prefers not to broadcast.
In an interview with GQ as part of their international 'My First Million' series, Adesanya revealed he is a frequent donator to charity and places in need, while is also often doing little things for complete strangers.
"I don't normally broadcast it because I feel like that's kind of disingenuous when you do, and you're doing things for likes or for press; not really doing it from the heart for love," Adesanya told GQ of his charitable side.
"My sister, who's a nurse, was telling me about the hospital needing beds. I donated $20,000 just to help them out and they got a few new beds – more than a few new beds."
Among other donations, Adesanya last year provided 10,000 three-ply face masks and 1000 eye protection face shields for Whanganui's frontline health staff in the fight against Covid-19.
"But also, I do little things like paying for the gas of the person that's on number seven. Then they don't know about it until they get to the counter, and then by the time they know I'm gone. If I do something for someone, I just tell them: 'Hey, pass it on. Just pass it on to the next person'."
Adesanya has often spoken about his 'stay broke, stay woke' mentality, referring to the struggle of grinding away on the local scene, and knows the importance of being smart with his money now.
Since making his name in the UFC, Adesanya has invested in property and land, and gets guidance from his father around saving and investing his wealth.
"There's only one person I trust with my money, and that's my father. Who else is going to have your best interests a heart than the man who brought you into this world and raised you?
"You have guys in basketball like Stephen Curry and Michael Jordan, their dads are involved in their careers. My dad's involved in my career ... behind the scenes where it really counts so that way I can make sure I stay broke and stay woke."
But while he's been smart with his money, Adesanya also shared some of the indulgences of his first million, including his $500,000 2019 McLaren 720s spider.
"I never really regret how I spend my money," Adesanya said.
"It's garbage. I love it, but it's garbage at the end of the day. What I really value is how you spend time, because that's something I never get back. Time is really what it's about."
This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission
