Israel Adesanya is seeking a new challenge in his UFC career. Having dominated the middleweight division and with his rival Alex Pereira moving up to a higher weight class, Adesanya is looking for a fresh opponent. One name that stands out is Dricus Du Plessis, who boasts an impressive 5-0 record in the UFC, with four of those victories coming by knockout or submission. The potential matchup between Adesanya and Du Plessis, ranked No. 1 and No. 8 respectively in the MMA Hook Global Rankings, gains further intrigue due to the heated exchanges they’ve had regarding their African heritage. Du Plessis is from South Africa, while Adesanya, a native Nigerian, fights out of New Zealand.
Du Plessis has a fight scheduled against Robert Whittaker at UFC 290 on July 8, and Adesanya is hoping for Du Plessis to emerge victorious, setting up a clash between them. Adesanya expressed his intentions, stating, “I envision Du Plessis winning this fight in the first round, and when he does, I’ll be there in the cage ready to face him in September. No excuses, no ‘I’m injured,’ none of that. We’ll fight in Sydney in September. If it’s Whittaker, well, I have a plan for him too. But I genuinely hope it’s DDP because I’ll show him exactly who I am.”
Adesanya aims for a September bout so that he and Du Plessis can fight in Sydney at UFC 293. Australia holds significance for Adesanya, as it’s where he first became the undisputed UFC middleweight champion by defeating Whittaker at UFC 243. Adesanya also triumphed over Whittaker once more at UFC 271.
The feud between Adesanya and Du Plessis ignited when Du Plessis claimed to have stronger connections to Africa due to living and training on the continent, unlike Adesanya and other African-born fighters Francis Ngannou and Kamaru Usman, who are now based in the United States. Adesanya refuted Du Plessis’ claim and restated his position, emphasizing, “I never questioned his ethnicity. I never said he’s not African, despite the historical implications we want to avoid. He is in Africa, born in South Africa, and I never doubted that. But when he acted arrogantly, claiming to know the ‘real African’ and boasting about ‘breathing African air,’ how dare he question my, Francis’, and Kamaru’s blackness or Africanness? Who is he to make such judgments? I want to educate him.”
Adesanya firmly believes that his feud with Du Plessis isn’t personal, despite the seriousness of the topic being debated. He recalls a past training session with Du Plessis, which he humorously remarked on, saying, “Funny enough, we’ve trained together before, and I handed him a beating. In the first round, he resorted to wrestling me like crazy. He seemed nice, a cool kid. Even when he joined the UFC, I supported him. You can find this on my YouTube channel, where I said, ‘Another African in the UFC, that’s great.’ But when he started to boast and question me, I was like, ‘Who is this guy?’ So when this fight happens, I’m going to make him regret it.”
Even if Du Plessis manages to pull off an upset win against Whittaker, another hurdle to a potential middleweight title challenge is the tight timeline between UFC 290 and UFC 293, with only two months in between. Du Plessis might not escape his fight with Whittaker unscathed, even in the event of a victory.
Adesanya remains determined to make the Du Plessis fight happen in September and vows to contribute to its realization. He stated, “It will be in the first round, Dricus, mess him up, somehow, through magic or some other means. We’ll make it happen. It’s a difficult task, but as Player 1, I can make things happen. I’ll pray for this and bring it into existence.”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Showdown
Who is Israel Adesanya targeting for a fight?
Israel Adesanya is targeting Dricus Du Plessis for a potential fight.
What is the significance of the potential matchup between Adesanya and Du Plessis?
The matchup between Adesanya and Du Plessis is intriguing due to the heated exchanges they’ve had regarding their African heritage.
When and where does Adesanya want to fight Du Plessis?
Adesanya wants to fight Du Plessis in September in Sydney, potentially at UFC 293.
What started the feud between Adesanya and Du Plessis?
The feud began when Du Plessis claimed to have stronger ties to Africa compared to Adesanya, Francis Ngannou, and Kamaru Usman.
Has Adesanya trained with Du Plessis before?
Yes, Adesanya has trained with Du Plessis in the past and even defeated him during a training session.
What could be a potential obstacle to Du Plessis challenging Adesanya for the middleweight title?
The quick turnaround between UFC 290 and UFC 293, as well as the possibility of Du Plessis getting injured in his upcoming fight, could pose obstacles to him challenging Adesanya for the middleweight title.
More about Showdown
- UFC Official Website
- [MMA Hook Global Rankings](link to the rankings if available)
- [Israel Adesanya’s Official YouTube Channel](link to Adesanya’s YouTube channel if available)
- [Dricus Du Plessis UFC Profile](link to Du Plessis’ UFC profile if available)
- [UFC 290 Event Information](link to UFC 290 event information if available)
- [UFC 293 Event Information](link to UFC 293 event information if available)
- [Israel Adesanya’s UFC Record](link to Adesanya’s UFC record if available)
- [Dricus Du Plessis’ UFC Record](link to Du Plessis’ UFC record if available)
