Adesanya will join other “cultural icons and influencers,” including Snoop Dogg, Tom Brady, Kendall Jenner, and Naomi Osaka.
Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya recently announced his new role as “Luiz” the Meta AI chatbot, a digital assistant (and MMA maestro) for Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp platforms.
Have a question about MMA? Ask Luiz at his official Instagram account.
“I’ve partnered with Meta to bring you a new AI named Luiz, an MMA fighter with slick style to match!” Adesanya wrote on social media. “You’ll be able to chat with Luiz across Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp, just follow and DM @DontMessWithLuiz to get started. Meta AIs rolling out to US users only right now in phases. Outside US coming soon. Voice coming later.”
UFC fans were not impressed.
—Does Luiz know how to beat sean strickland?
—Is beating a 1-2 punch combo the first lesson?
—Glad Izzy was able to sneak a phone in jail.
—Maybe Meta makes AI attorneys as well.
—AI class on drinking and driving next?
It hasn’t been a great couple of weeks for the former champ.
Adesanya, 34, also landed the cover of the new UFC video game and released his movie “Stylebender” this week. It would have been one helluva a victory lap if Adesanya had retained his 185-pound title at UFC 293 earlier this month in Sydney.
Unfortunately he did not, thanks to a stunning upset at the hands of Sean Strickland.
Then it was revealed just a few weeks after the “Tarzan” loss that Adesanya had been busted for drunk driving in New Zealand. Probably not the kind of headlines “The Last Stylebender” wanted ahead of this week’s big rollout.
Adesanya is expected to make his Octagon return at some point in early 2024.