UFC 287 headliners, Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira, both have an impressive array of tattoos on their bodies. The current UFC middleweight champion and the former champion both use the tattoos on their bodies to reflect their roots. In Adesanya’s case though, his tattoos are less subtle than his rival’s.
In fact, just recently, after his loss to Alex Pereira at UFC 281, Adesanya got a new tattoo. Taking to his Instagram, the Last Stylebender posted a few photos and a video showcasing his latest tattoo. However, instead of revealing the meaning behind his new tattoo, as most do, Izzy challenged his fans to decipher the meaning of the tattoo.
The new tattoo above Izzy’s left eye was the Arabic word for “dragon”. As for the bird tattoo on his neck, it seems one fan guessed it correctly to be the Egyptian war deity, Montu. Other than those tattoos, Izzy has the words, “BROKEN NATIVE” emblazoned across his chest. Below that, Israel’s lower chest has a tattoo of the map of Africa, with his native Nigeria being highlighted.
Nouveaux tatouages pour Israel Adesanya ✍️ pic.twitter.com/bK6y7bfMy6
— ARENA (@MMArena_) January 14, 2023
As an anime fan, Adesanya would be remiss if he didn’t get any tattoos relating to it. So, Adesanya paid homage to 2 animes, Naruto and the one that inspired his nickname, Avatar: The Last Airbender. The one that pays tribute to Naruto is especially impressive as it is a full-scale recreation of the sealing “jutsu” from Naruto. Stepping into his comic book influences, Adesanya also has a tattoo of Deadpool on the left side of his body, on the side of his rib cage.
On the inner side of his right bicep, Izzy carries a tattoo of Calvin and Hobbes, a daily comic strip created by Bill Watterson. In 2016, Adesanya got a werewolf tattoo on his right arm. Both these tattoos were made by Adesanya’s favorite tattoo artist, the Stained Skin Artist.
Alex Pereira’s tattoos – what do they mean?
Like Israel Adesanya’s tattoos, Alex Pereira’s tattoos too symbolize things that are important to him. In Poatan’s case, his tattoos show the love he has for animals. The UFC middleweight champion has a tattoo of a gorilla and a jaguar on his body. And these tattoos in particular also represent the fighting style and spirit of Poatan.
“The gorilla represents a lot to me. It’s a strong, independent animal with a strong connection to nature…he Brazilian jaguar is also very smart and ruthless. In my fights, I try to be like that too. I hunt my opponents and then finish them without mercy,” said Alex Pereira about the animal tattoos.
Furthermore, Alex Pereira also has 3 dragon tattoos on his body, getting the first of these when he was only 18. One of these tattoos depicts the legend of “The Dragon Gate”. Pereira explained, “When I got the Koi-fish tattoo, I didn’t know about the legend. Later I learned that when a Koi swims to the top of the mountain, he turns into a Dragon. I think that’s really cool.”
Both Adesanya and Pereira’s tattoos hold deep meaning and significance to them and their careers. From anime characters to animals that depict legends, these fighters have tattoos that symbolize multitudes. However, their body art also acts as a reminder of their starkly different personalities.
