What Do Israel Adesanya’s Tattoos Mean? Broken Native, Deadpool, Naruto & More

With 3-losses in a row behind him, Israel Adesanya returns at UFC Seattle, trying to prove he’s still got another run left. Across his seven-year stretch in the UFC, he won the middleweight title twice and defended it five times. And throughout that journey, he built an identity that goes beyond fighting. His tattoos are a big part of that story.

Every piece of ink on ‘The Last Stylebender’s body ties back to a moment or a belief. Some reflect ambition. Others show where he came from. A few are just pure expression. So what do they actually mean? Let’s find out!

What is the meaning of Israel Adesanya’s neck tattoo?

Adesanya’s neck tattoo isn’t just another design; it’s a portrait of his dog, ‘Millionaire.’ In a GQ interview, he explained exactly why the name mattered:

“Actually named him Millionaire for a reason, because I knew what was coming my way.”

It’s a simple line, but it carries weight. At the time, Israel Adesanya was still climbing. No belt yet. No global superstardom. But the mindset was already there.

Are there any other tattoos on Israel Adesanya’s body?

The former two-time middleweight champion previously stated that he has consistently felt like an outsider throughout the entirety of his existence. As a result, he decided to permanently mark his chest with the ‘Broken Native’ tattoo. Besides, it was his first tattoo, which he got when he was just 22 years old.

The tattoo is written in bold capital letters which acts as a reminder for ‘The Last Stylebender’ about his past and present. It signifies the evolution from the person he was to the person he is today. It stems from the fact that he was heavily bullied during his younger years, which inspired him to become a martial artist.

Most UFC fans know about the rivalry between Adesanya and former champion Alex Pereira. Both fought each other in two combat sports disciplines – Kickboxing and MMA. Incidentally, Pereira was also the one who handed Adesanya his first loss in the UFC’s middleweight division. This led him to get a new tattoo.

In January 2023, ‘The Last Stylebender’ got a new tattoo inscribed with the word ‘Dragon’ in the Arabic script, which was positioned directly above his right eyebrow. He drew the inspiration for this tattoo from the anime character ‘Gaara’ from the popular series ‘Naruto’, who is also portrayed as having a similar tattoo on his forehead above his eyebrow.

‘The Last Stylebender’ has been vocal about his love for animated shows and characters. As such, he got a tattoo in 2017, inspired by his two favorite animated shows—‘Naruto’ and ‘Avatar’. Moreover, during an interview with TMZ, he revealed that his nickname was also inspired by the highly popular ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ animated series.

Similarly, Israel Adesanya has the same tattoo on his stomach as Naruto, which is the ‘Reaper Death Seal’. With that, he has the ‘Yin and Yang’/’Ocean and Moon’ from ‘Avatar’. Adesanya loves things that inspire him. His inspirations do not necessarily come from a real person, but from fictional characters as well. Another such tattoo was extracted from Marvel Comics.

On the left side of Adesanya’s ribcage, he has a tattoo of the mischievous Marvel superhero, Deadpool. The red and black costume-donning superhero (or anti-hero) has become a cult favorite among comic book fans. Moreover, the Deadpool franchise has already made millions of dollars with three live-action adaptations. The tattoo of it on Adesanya’s body is a significantly large one, to say the least.

However, the Deadpool tattoo was also the one that Adesanya disliked getting inked on his body. In a video posted by the UFC on its YouTube channel, the middleweight champion mentioned that he did not complete that in one day, as it caused him a lot of pain. 

“Yeah, that one was the one I regret waiting to get shaded,” Adesanya said. “I should have just done it in one day.”

Adesanya also inked a tattoo on his neck, which is an image of a dragon. It went hand in hand with the tattoo on his eyebrow. Other than that, ‘Izzy’ has a few more tattoos. It includes a tattoo inspired by cartoonist Bill Watterson on his right bicep, a werewolf tattoo on the inner side of his right arm, and a tattoo of the African continent, which had Lagos and Nigeria highlighted in the center of his chest. We will have to wait and see what he gets inked next.

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