UFC superstar Israel Adesanya has been slammed after mocking an 18-year-old boy who disappeared after jumping off a party boat into shark-infested waters.
The 33-year-old quote tweeted a report of a teenager named Cameron Robbins who jumped into Bahamian waters from the boat as a dare disappearing on Wednesday (May 31).
“‘It’s a prank bro’ era. #darwinism,” the middleweight champion tweeted.
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Following an updated report on Robbins, Adesanya had a more compassionate response in a further tweet the next day as he wrote: “‘Damn… I hope they find him. But still just sad s**t really.”
The high school graduate jumped off Blackbeard’s Revenge cruise ship on May 24 with a clip of the jump going viral on social media.
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(Image: Getty Images)
The US Coast Guard, among other agencies, began searching for the teen before they called off the search two days later.
While the MMA star is a popular figure thanks to his capers in the octagon that has made him one of the most famous athletes today, he was slammed by fans who thought his tweet is lacking empathy.
One person wrote: “I love you Izzy but empathy is absolutely free, yes what he did was dumb, but as young men, we do dumb s***.”
(Image: Getty Images)
Another responded: “Damn, Izzy. Bad idea for the young guy but surprised you’d care enough to mock him when he’s already met his ultimate fate.” A third echoed the same sentiments as they replied: “Awesome izzy dunking on a teenager who just died… super dope.”
Footage showed the teen swimming in the water while classmates threw out a life preserver to him as they urged him to grab onto it.
However, a figure appeared in the water which many suspect may have been a shark as Robbins swam away from it.
(Image: Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
The family of the teen put out a statement, urging for privacy so they can “mourn his loss”.
“We want to thank the Bahamas government, the US Coast Guard, the United Cajun Navy, and Congressman Garrett Graves for everything they have done for us,” the Robbins family said.
“In this time of grief we thank our family, friends and well wishers for granting us the privacy we need to properly remember our son and mourn his loss.”