Kiwi UFC middleweight star Israel Adesanya is on the verge of becoming a global superstar.
In his last fight alone he earned more than most All Blacks make in a year.
The 29-year-old says his fellow Kiwi UFC teammates Dan Hooker and Kai Kara-France at Auckland's City Kickboxing gym keep him grounded.
"My ego is big but I keep it in check, they keep it in check. It's healthy and you need it to be in the situation I'm in," said Adesanya.
The undefeated MMA star earned quarter of a million New Zealand dollars after dominating his American rival Derek Brunson at Madison Square Garden in New York earlier this month.
With the win also leading to his social media getting twice as many followers.
The Nigerian born Kiwi fighter is undefeated in the UFC and could be a step closer a title shot after his next fight in the octagon.
"I feel it, I have to grow up or I'm going to get eaten alive in this world, and I can see all the snakes and all the vultures.
"Kinda like flanking and circling to see how they can like profit but I told them already all the ones that said no in the past don’t come around now."
Adesanya revealed that the promoters behind Kiwi heavyweight boxer Joseph Parker approached him.
"Guys like DUCO now trying to flank and I'm like dude I've been here for f****** how many years. Came to me the other day and was like 'oh DUCO wanna do something with you it's like 20 grand'.
"I'm like 'pfffft… are you serious? hell no.'"
After a private meeting with UFC president Dana Whyte in Sydney last week, it appears Adesanya's middleweight title shot isn't too far away.
"Like you could see just like 'yes', we both had dollar signs in our eyes."
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