Israel Adesanya’s documentary inspired Max Holloway to be an active player in mental health.

The “Stylebender”, Israel Adesanya’s documentary, recently premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. The documentary covers Israel Adesanya’s journey from his childhood to starting martial arts, his development with his trainer Eugene Bareman, and various aspects of his career, in which the mental health phase of Israel Adesanya is also highlighted. His close work with mental health professionals and openly talking about this aspect touched “The Blessed” (Max Holloway). The Stylebender recommended every man to watch this film, as it openly brings out the mental health topic.

Former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway also watched the film, though Israel and he are not close friends, but their manager is the same, Tim Simpson, due to which Max Holloway watched the film and it didn’t disappoint him; instead, it inspired him to take care of his mental health and seek therapy sessions. Max Holloway, while speaking on “The MMA Hour,” opened up about his depression back in 2018, when he was going through some rough phases in his career with constant health problems during his fight with Frankie Edgar and then a loss during the title fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Great. I can’t wait [for others to see it]’ Holloway said. “I had to talk to Izzy shortly after, too. How open he was, without giving too much away, to see a different take on us fighters that we’re going through. A lot of people think of us as superheroes and the vulnerability of Izzy, not just Izzy but Eugene as well. Everyone told me that Eugene is a big bad guy, he’s a tough guy, but actually he’s a big teddy bear.

“To this day I still think, ‘I don’t have to talk to anyone.’ I’m like that,” Holloway said. “To this day, I’m still fighting myself. ‘You don’t have to talk to anyone.’ But after seeing that, after seeing Izzy do it, I think, maybe I should do this. Then when I talk to Izzy for a little bit and find out how many different people he’s been talking to, I’m like, ‘Wow!’ This guy actually talked to people. I thought I was the only one fighting it, but actually he is.”

“Mental health and stuff, here and there, but not like you’re actually going to go out and pay someone.” We’re talking to someone because we know someone, but I want to try and maybe set up sessions and see what it’s like . If it’s not for me – I was one of those who tried it before I tried it. Then you see, it’s like it’s sad that I had to watch Izzy’s doctor to do that, but better late than never.”

Max Holloway

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