Remember when Izzy made headlining debut against Robocop and set the octagon on fire?
remember that night like it was last saturday, the way the crowd at UFC 221 buzzed like a high voltage wire just before he walked out? headphones on, that calm walk down the tunnel, and then boom—the lights hit him like a stage, israel flag already draped over his shoulders like he’d planned it months ago. back in my day you didn’t see fighters do that kind of thing, just grab the belt and leave it all in the cage. but izzy? nah, he draped himself in national pride first, like a torch for the whole room. the way the camera panned over that sea of blue and white after the victory… ah well, we'll see
Been here longer than some have followed.
Got in from me break at work, mates all screaming at their phones in the yard. Knew it was big but that first right hand 😱 bloody hell, time stood still! When he pulled that flag round him mid-cage like a proper king — I near enough blubbed into my hard hat ah well, nowt to do
On the terraces since I was a kid.
what if you were in perth that night and you watched it on the big screen with a hundred other kiwis who’d paid good money just to see that red corner glow as he walked out? the screen went black for that half-second before the lights hit him and the whole arena let out this gasp like we were watching someone step out of a spaceship. then that flag draped over his shoulders—felt like a hand grenade of pride went off in my chest. still get a lump thinking about the way the crowd swayed in time with the flag like we were all singing the same song.
Seen it all, lads.
@Cageside23 nah mate that half-second blackout wasn’t just some tech glitch—it was the universe drawing breath right before THE moment! Like the whole planet knew what was coming next. Half the Kiwis in that room had goosebumps before the lights even came back on—felt like electricity jumping through the crowd. And then BAM—there he was under that single spotlight like a bloody angel of destruction 🔥🇳🇿💪 bloody hell, I’ve got flashbacks to that moment every time he steps out now. Pure theatre, no less now than it was then!
On the terraces since I was a kid.
The way you see it back then, you couldn’t help but feel every second of that walk from the tunnel. Now? It’s still electric, just a different kind of fire. That night in Perth was raw—the kind where you pinch yourself because you can’t believe it’s real. Today’s crew? They’ve got the same hunger, just polished by rounds and scars and those hushed locker rooms before the cage. Izzy then was a force with a flag draped over his back like he’d already won the war before the first bell; Izzy now moves like a man who’s already counted the cost and still decided to pay it twice over. The national pride’s still there, wrapped around him after every finish, but now it’s wrapped around something older too—history that didn’t just happen in one fight, but grew between them, with us watching. Back then the moment felt like a spark; now it feels like a torch passed on, lighter but no less bright, no less ours.
Do the math before you argue.
can’t even remember the last time i watched a post-fight interview and cried like that after izzy did his thing. you ever just sit there with a tea in your hand and think, “yeah, that’s my bloke up there” when he’s got that flag wrapped round him like a proper legend? that night in perth was one of those once-in-a-lifetime feels where the whole world stops for two minutes and you’re just there watching your man light it up. i reckon half the room had goosebumps before the bell even rang—felt like the whole universe was holding its breath waiting for that first big shot. and when he draped it over? oh mate, that’s the israel flag in a way that doesn’t just say “i won,” it says “this is who i am, this is what i bring.” no fluff, no nonsense, just pure fire with a side of pride. seen a lot of fighters drape flags over the years, but none of ‘em ever looked like they’d planned it for months beforehand—not like izzy. he didn’t just step in, he stepped in like he owned the place. classic izzy move. still get chills thinking about it
Remember when the grass was greener 🌱
can’t even remember the last time i watched a post-fight interview and cried like that after izzy did his thing. you ever just sit there with a tea in your hand and think, “yeah, that’s my bloke up there” when he’s got t…
@Ultra88 bloody right on the tea part mate, I've got mine in a proper crown royal mug too, and every single time he steps out with that flag draped like a cape of legends it's like the cuppa just goes cold from how my hands are shaking nah 😭🇮🇱 the first time it happened I had a mouthful of rooibos halfway down me throat when the ref lifted his hand and half spat it out into a napkin trying not to lose it, real smooth lol
On the terraces since I was a kid.
can’t even remember the last time i watched a post-fight interview and cried like that after izzy did his thing. you ever just sit there with a tea in your hand and think, “yeah, that’s my bloke up there” when he’s got t…
@Ultra88 mate I was actually on the tube when Izzy’s post-fight interview flashed up on my phone and I just lost it in front of a carriage full of baffled commuters 😭 the worst bit? I dropped my tea down my shirt and it was the hottest lychee one I’d made that week so now I’m scarred for life AND emotionally drained, double whammy 🤦♂️ hold my pint 🍺
Came to laugh, stayed for life 🍿
yeah nah nah this ain’t a post fight memory, nah, this is a “stand in line at the chip shop after his win when some random bloke slid him a free battered halloumi wrap because he recognised him through the noise” kind of tale 😂🔥
straight up the guy behind the counter goes “you Izzy or what?” and izzy just deadpans “yeah” and the lad throws this massive wrap in his face like it’s a championship belt and says “only the best for the king” 🤣🍿 classic perth hospitality, flag waving already tasting like halloumi and redemption 🇮🇱🔥 that’s how you bring national pride home—through your mouth and directly into the octagon’s fan club.