A speech made by UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya as he accepted his Sportsman of the Year at the Halberg Awards last week can be described as going viral on social media.

Both national and international fighters, and proud Kiwis, have taken to social media to show their support in what Adesanya had to say.

The 30-year-old took out the prized award ahead of shot put star Tom Walsh, Australian Supercars champion driver Scott McLaughlin and Black Caps captain Kane Williamson.

If the gathered guests and those watching at home live on SKY TV anticipated another cliché-ridden acceptance speech, they were in for a radical shock, reports Rotorua Now.

The former Rotorua Boys’ High School student made a passionate plea for New Zealanders to stop bagging our successful sportspeople and to put an end to the tall poppy syndrome once and for all.

"New Zealand, we have this culture of tall poppy syndrome which is messed up. Coming up in this country I've seen it so many times. When you see one of us rising, you want to tear him down because you feel inadequate and you want to call it humble.

"I am extraordinarily humble, believe me, but you'll never know that because you'll never get to know me.

"Understand this. If you see one of us shining, whether it be the netball team, the Black Caps, the sailors, pump them up, embrace them, because if they win, we win. If I win, you win.

"Understand that."

Adesanya is currently preparing to take on Yoel Romero at UFC 248.

He has also gone on record to challenge Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones.

The two are aching to fight each other at some point in the future and have left no stones unturned to call each other out.

“I don’t need to, but I want to. Dana, tell Mark, save the date. 2021, Raider Stadium, International Fight Week. It’s going down," Adesanya said at a recent press conference for UFC 248.

UFC president Dana White says he will allow the fight, but only if the two met certain conditions.

These conditions largely include Adesanya’s winning against a few more opponents in his current division.