Kiwi-Nigerian UFC champion Israel Adesanya successfully defended his middleweight title belt against contender Marvin Vettori yesterday in Arizona, United States. In an emotional victory speech following the fight, Adesanya dedicated the win to his Tongan sparring partner Fau Vake, bowing down in tribute to the 25-year-old father who was killed in a vicious attack by four men in Auckland only two weeks ago.

“One of our boys, one of the guys whose was on his way up to the UFC got murdered, let’s not mess words, he got murdered by some thugs who are still walking around free. I just wanted to say Fau Vake! Fau Vake! Fau Vake I love you man…this fight I dedicate to you Fau”, he said in front of a crowd of over 17,000 people.

“Even in his last sparring, he whopped my a** so I have to give you credit Fau, trust me I’m not going to get that one back but I’m glad you whopped me in your last sparring.”

New Zealand fighter Brad Riddell, who fought in the undercard to Adesanya’s fight, also paid tribute to Fau Vake after winning his fight. He walked into the octagon to one of Vake’s favorite songs.

“He was an extremely talented fighter and he gave me a lot of hidings on a regular with his hands and everyone knows that this world isn’t fair and he will never make that walk to the UFC”, Brad said about his former sparring partner in a post-fight press conference.

“It’s upsetting that he will never be able to do that so I walked out to one of his walkout songs which is actually a song from his father’s village in Tonga. That’s why the song would have seemed a little bit odd, but his mother and brother gave me permission to walk out with that song as tribute to him, so that’s what I did.”

Coward Punch Laws

The New Zealand Justice System has been subject to public criticism for not enforcing the full weight of existing laws in assault cases where victims have died or suffered permanent injuries from sucker punches. A 2018 bill to introduce mandatory jail sentences for “coward punch causing death” was voted down 63 – 57 in the New Zealand parliament.

In a post-fight press conference, Adesanya expressed his frustration.

"If someone walks up to someone who is doing nothing – be it an old man or an old lady or whatever – and blind shots them from the back, give them 20 years, standard. Because that's assault with a deadly weapon.”

“I don't want to get angry, I don't want to get political but I expect better from the Government of New Zealand”, he added.

- Reporting by Finau Fonua