‘My gym brother may die’: UFC champ Adesanya says alleged sucker punch which left friend fighting for life is ‘attempted murder’

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has called for harsh penalties to be imposed on what he refers to as "coward punchers" after training partner Fau Vake was left fighting for his life after a vicious assault last weekend.

Vake, 25, remains in critical condition in an Aukland hospital after he was assaulted early Sunday morning which led to four men being charged with a range of offences from common assault to injuring with intent.

The promising MMA fighter and young father, who trains alongside Adesanya at City Kickboxing in New Zealand, was jumped by a group of men at around 3am local time, per reports, after he was allegedly 'king hit', also known to some as a 'coward punch' - or being struck from behind while unable to see his attacker.

Three men aged 29 and another aged 32 are facing charges resulting from the assault. Local police have indicated that they aren't seeking any other suspects in relation to the incident.

Previous reports online had indicated that Vake had passed away due to his injuries but were incorrect.

Adesanya, meanwhile, has called for harsh penalties for those responsible for Vake's assault and for anyone else found to have used a 'coward punch' in a common assault.

"I am distraught. My gym brother may die because of the gutless actions of these men," Adesanya said of his friend and training partner.

"In the past decade there have been numerous deaths from punches thrown when people are not looking," added Adesanya, whose jaw was broken in 2012 after he was also punched from behind by an assailant.

"Given the massive publicity these crimes have received, no one is dumb enough to think there is not a serious risk of death. There is no excuse, it should be considered attempted murder or murder."

Eugene Bareman, trainer of both Adesanya and Vake at City Kickboxing, agrees with his star student's assertion. 

"The Australian states of New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria all introduced coward punch laws in 2014," he said.

"In 2018, the New Zealand Parliament rejected a bill in its first reading to create a coward punch offence with a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment.

"This means there is absolutely no deterrent in place to make people think twice about this type of attack.

"It’s sad to see Australia so far ahead of us in dealing with these evil acts. If New Zealand law doesn’t allow for a more serious penalty, we should all be pushing for it."

Writing on Instagram, Adesanya called for well-wishes for Vake, imploring fans to "please please pray for him", while another New Zealand MMA star, Kai Kara France, doubled down on Adesanya's request, adding that Vake was currently fighting for his life.

There is no indication as of yet as to the specifics of the injuries suffered by Vake as a result of the assault.