What is your sporting history like?
I was a strong football lover, but I grew up in the type of
family where sport was not encouraged. My dad expected me to go to school and
become a doctor or a lawyer, so I wasn’t encouraged in the area of sports, but
I loved football a lot, and I can still play football perfectly.
Why did you not pursue your interest in football?
In the days where sports were being developed in our area, I
didn’t have any sort of encouragement to pursue sports. I didn’t even know that
sports were lucrative because the mindset was that if you were ever going to be
a very successful and notable person in life, you had to be either a lawyer or
an engineer.
Where you a member of your school football team?
I wasn’t allowed at all, and the parental fear was there, so
I didn’t play for the team, but I was always attending games.
What’s your favourite sport as a spectator?
UFC
Who is your favourite fighter in the UFC and why?
Isreal Adesanya. Apart from the fact that he is a Nigerian
like me, I just love his delivery, his confidence, he fights tactically, he’s
very skilled, very determined, and serious about what he’s doing. And the
reputation of our country outside the nation is not a good one; people are treated
less than a lot others, so when you are privileged to see a Nigerian who is ’repping’
correctly and not cutting corners and making his money, you should be proud.
These people don’t want us Africans going where they ought
to go because they just believe that we are supposed to struggle, and being a
Nigerian and dominating the middleweight, overcoming a lot of challenges, and
with the work he has put in to get to where he is, so whether he has a fight or
not, I make sure to watch him on all his platforms.
What do you think of his performance in recent times?
There is a reason Adesanya came back to Nigeria; he had to
come back to his roots. Because the natural strength and vigour are given to
Africans, but when you live in Australia and you eat Australian food, you can’t
use Australian food to activate African power. And that is why he came back; he
knows that if you stay abroad and claim African, true Africans who stay here
will beat you. He was very sensible when he came back with the places he
visited, so we do hope that in the next fight, the spirit and the energy of
Africa can be restored, and there can be something we celebrate again.
Do you think that Joshua can win his fight against Dubois
on Saturday today?
We are hopeful. I will watch the fight, so let’s just hope
that Anthony will fight like the professional that he is; that is our
expectation.
Adesanya and Kamaru Usman have repeatedly said they don’t
want to fight each other, saying they are ‘brothers’. With that mindset, do you
think they can last in that industry?
One thing Nigerians get outside this country is that they
suddenly realise that they are brothers. I come from the Urhobo tribe in the
Niger Delta, and some other tribes don’t agree with us, but if I meet these
other tribes overseas, they treat me like family, but once we come back to the
Delta, they suddenly stop talking to me.
Who do you think is the greatest Nigerian footballer
ever, and why?
Jay-Jay Okocha. I think the passion with which he played
football would make anyone want to play football. He loves football, so I think
he’s just the best.
What do you think of the current Super Eagles team?
Honestly, I stopped watching Nigerian football since the
days of Okocha. You will agree with me that during the time of Okocha, we were
all glued to our TV screens to watch the Super Eagles play. However, in recent
times, they have been improving a lot, so I think the love that we all had for
the Super Eagles will come back.
Would you encourage your children in sports?
I do not know the destiny of my children, and I will be glad
if none of my children pursue entertainment. This industry is no longer what it
used to be. If any of them is good in sports, I will wholeheartedly encourage
my kids. I’m not a father that would discourage them; whatever they want to do,
I will support.