New Zealand’s premier MMA gym, City Kickboxing, is set to move to the USA. That’s according to two of the Pacific nation’s biggest stars, Dan Hooker and Israel Adesanya.
Thanks to the strict COVID-19 regulations in place in New Zealand, Hooker plans on settling down in the US to further his, and his teammates’, UFC prospects.
Adesanya & Hooker Claim City Kickboxing “Forced” to Move to USA
“They’ve actually closed the booking system here in New Zealand so you can’t actually get back into the country altogether,” Hooker told Just Scrap Radio. “What a few of us other fighters from New Zealand are looking at doing is potentially stationing ourselves offshore and stationing ourselves out of New Zealand for the foreseeable future.”
Hooker continued explaining the situation, declaring that he and his teammates will be “forced” out of New Zealand.
“My voucher to get back into New Zealand is for a week after the fight. I have a week in Vegas doing whatever happens after the fight. Then, I’m back in New Zealand, and time to look at things and reevaluate our situation and where we need to be training in the future.
Yeah, I haven’t put too much thought into it as I have been dealing with the obstacles at hand and focusing on Nasrat. The way it’s looking, I can’t speak for my teammates, it’s looking like stationing away from New Zealand.
Our hand is forced.” UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya also weighed in, taking to Instagram to air his frustrations with his home country and praise his teammates.
““Cats out the bag… I’m moving to America. When faced with obstacles, we adapt and overcome. I’m 32 and applying pressure like J Cole before I’m out the game. We built this legacy at City Kickboxing ourselves and the support of the people.
No [government] handouts or backing and became the number one winning gym on earth! Four walls and a roof don’t make a martial arts gym. The people who toil day in and day out make it what it is. So wherever those four walls and a roof is located, it’ll still be City Kickboxing!”
Hooker delivered an impressive win over Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 266 over the weekend, and Adesanya is set to defend his middleweight title against number one challenger Rob Whittaker in the near future. A move to the US would help ensure the Whittaker fight goes ahead, with Whittaker’s home of Australia facing similar restrictions to those in New Zealand.
Are you hoping that a move to the US for City Kickboxing will deliver more frequent Adesanya and Hooker fights? Let us know in the comments.
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