The ‘Real African’ champion grudge match between Israel Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis unfolded in favor of the latter. There were several speculations about the current standing of their beef. However, both Adesanya and DDP later shared a moment embracing each other backstage.
UFC 305 had several highlights to be remembered. The controversial judge scorecard to the massive brawl in the crowd has garnered a lot of attention. Interestingly, those were not the only highlights of the fight night. Following the fight, Adesanya and Du Plessis seemed to have ended their beef. As such, DDP even exchanged his South African-themed jacket as a token of respect with Izzy.
Moreover, they even met each other families backstage. As shown in the clip below, Stillknocks hugged Adesanya’s parents and thanked them for raising a warrior. Now, coming to the fight, the South African fighter rallied to beat Izzy by fourth-round submission to retain the middleweight title. DDP’s relentless forward pressure paid big dividends as he knocked down the former titleholder and submitted him.
Interestingly, their post-fight backstage interaction moment drew several speculations about the authenticity of their feud. The long ongoing feud that started a year ago, with several back-and-forth comments on their ethnicity. Following the fight, Du Plessis immediately clarified the whole thing at the press conference.
Dricus Du Plessis clarifies the authenticity of his beef with Israel Adesanya
Du Plessis and Adesanya entered UFC 305 with one of the most heated pairings in UFC history. The two sides traded barbs for months before the fight. Interestingly, some of Du Plessis’s trash talk even drew an emotional reaction from Adesanya at the pre-fight press conference. Moreover, they even made several comments about each other, disrespecting their cultures and family histories.
Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya after the fight (Image via X)Interestingly, a certain bond must have been created after a hard-fought contest between du Plessis and Adesanya at UFC 305. For Adesanya to go out of his way to raise Du Plessis’ hand in triumph on multiple occasions is evidence of that. However, this may question the legitimacy of their beef. DDP took no time to clarify such speculations at the post-fight presser.
I say this all the time: Myself and Israel, the beef was not fake…I’m not talking about that I hate Israel Adesanya. I’m just saying that if we were in a social setting, I would probably not be sitting at his table. And that’s fine. … But the respect that I have for him in this sport and what he’s done, it can’t be denied
Dricus du Plessis via UFC 305 post-fight conference
“The beef was not fake. … But the respect that I have for him in this sport and what he’s done, it can’t be denied. Because if you don’t, you’re an idiot.”
Dricus Du Plessis shows respect to Israel Adesanya after #UFC305. pic.twitter.com/UKhkiMq6rb
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) August 18, 2024
Interestingly, following the fight, DDP’s coach Morne Visser mentioned that they might be up for a rematch against Adesanya. Per Visser, Izzy is the only fighter who deserves to fight DDP in Africa. However, now it remains to be seen when that takes place. As of now, there has been no confirmation of that event yet.
