Sport
1News

'That's how you lead' - Israel Adesanya professes admiration for Jacinda Ardern

April 9, 2019
Eugene Bareman said his team brought in a private doctor to help Adesanya recover from swollen lymph nodes.

Kiwi-Nigerian UFC fighter Israel Adesanya has professed his admiration for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, hailing her response to the March 15 Christchurch terrorist attacks.

After a gunman opened fire on two mosques, leaving 50 dead, Prime Minister Ardern has become a beacon for New Zealand's response, hailed around the world for her compassion towards survivors and victims, as well as her swift action to ensure such atrocities never happen again.

Building up for his interim middleweight title fight with Kelvin Gastelum, Adesanya told Sportingnews.com about his respect and admiration for his adopted country's leader.

"She has a different perspective as a woman - she cares. She feels a little bit more than a man might in that position," Adesanya said.

"The way she's handled everything, I find it inspirational."She wore the headdress. She said f**k all these semi-automatics. The rest of the world should look - America should look - and take notes.

"That's how you lead. It's leading by example. A leader is showing who's in there in the trenches."

Adesanya will fight Gastelum this Sunday NZT in Atlanta.

SHARE ME

More Stories