Dricus Du Plessis makes his maiden defense at UFC 305 against former two-time champion Israel Adesanya. Before they get their hands on each other, it’s clear that they despise each other. While Izzy enters the showdown with the chance to make history as a three-time champ, he weighs in on where he ranks this build-up.
Throughout the lead-up, Israel Adesanya has found it irksome that the South African snubbed the original of the trio of African champions. After the UFC 305 on-sale kickoff conference in July, ‘Stilknocks’ maintained that he did not mean disrespect. Nevertheless, the heat did not die down for Adesanya. As such, he even went on to tell Bloody Elbow where the feud with DDP ranks in his career.
I don’t think so, to be honest. In terms of the fight, …we don’t like each other. It’s normal. But I don’t think it’s the biggest rivalry of my career. We’ve not even fought yet….The game plan that my coaches and I have come up with is going to stay between us, but I’ll go in there and fight until I win.
Israel Adesanya in a Bloody Elbow exclusive for GRV network (@BloodyElbow)
Before and during his preliminary media availability check-ins, Izzy had voiced violent intentions already. He had a heated rivalry with Marvin Vettori and Paulo Costa. ‘Stylebender‘ and Alex Pereira might have the greatest combat sports rivalry ever. The rivalry ended with a highlight second-round KO for Adesanya.
Compared to the combined history they have in UFC and over at GLORY kickboxing, Du Plessis is not the best possible rival. However, the Kiwi-based combat sports titan is pulling in all the stops to regain back his gold. Subsequently, even Dricus Du Plessis has some ideas on where the rivalry goes from here.
Dricus Du Plessis talks UFC 305 and Israel Adesanya wanting to be a ‘three-time’ champion
Ahead of his middleweight title fight with Sean Strickland, Dricus Du Plessis has continued to target Izzy. As a matter of fact, he targeted his motivation to fight as well. Du Plessis (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) edged out Strickland en route to a split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47). It was the same Strickland who dethroned Israel Adesanya before that. Hence, it was a matter of the ‘enemy of the enemy’ who got the better hand.
Dricus Du Plessis diminishes the challenger (Source: IMAGO/express.co.uk)However, Izzy based his rivalry on racially charged quarrels rather than that. Hence, Du Plessis also took the weird route out. It started from claiming that Izzy lacked ‘hunger or fire’ to saying he should have retired. DDP has resorted to all manners of trash-talking. Now, in a conversation with the ever-viral The MMA Guru, he talks down the value of Izzy becoming a 185-pound champ a third time.
With a guy like Adesanya, he’s seen it all and achieved it all so now you can go ‘Well, now you’re the first three-time UFC champion’ but that just means he lost the belt twice! It’s not an achievement, it’s just a record that is on record…The only battle this man has – I’m not in his head, he’s in his own…
Dricus Du Plessis via MMA Q&A streams on ‘The MMA Guru’ Official YT Channel (@the-mma-guru)
The 30-year-old argues that with UFC 305 being Adesanya’s 12th world title fight, there’s not much to aim for. By his own admission, the Stylebender was set to take a sabbatical till 2027. Hence, this is nothing more than a salvation run to DDP. A last “hail mary,” if one will. As such, with such mind games on, the parlay will only increase the fuel between the two.
