Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has congratulated Nigeria’s Israel Adesanya for knocking out 185-pound challenger, Robert Whittaker, to become UFC undisputed world middleweight champion.
Erewa-Dabiri in a statement by the commission’s Director of Media, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, stated that by the feat, Israel has brought honour and glory not only to Nigeria but to all black Africans.
The elated Dabiri-Erewa said that with Nigeria’s Israel Adesanya knocking out his challenger, Robert Whittaker, to become UFC undisputed world middleweight champion in Kickboxing, was something to be proud of.
The NIDCOM boss said that Nigeria is proud of Adesanya’s performance as he had used his skills to bring honour and glory to the entire country.
She urged the youths, especially those in the Diaspora, to emulate Adesanya and be good ambassadors of the country wherever they find themselves.
Adesanya is now the second African to win a UFC title after Kamaru Usman became welterweight champion.
He knocked out Australian Robert Whittaker on Sunday morning to become the undisputed middleweight boxing champion of the world.
Adesanya won the fight in the second round of the UFC 243 at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.
His victory capped the young boxer’s remarkable journey in the mixed martial arts.
The Nigerian-born fighter needed less than two years and seven fights to clinch the middleweight title.
Adesanya has now extended his winning streak to 18 straight wins. The former kickboxing star came into the UFC with 11-0 straight wins.
He won the interim middleweight title in Atlanta in April in his sixth UFC fight, dismantling Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236.
