The world of mixed martial arts is no stranger to colorful characters. Sometimes, the pre-fight banter reaches new levels of weirdness. Enter Israel Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis, two middleweights with a flair for the dramatic. Their recent UFC 305 on-sale press conference was a masterclass in bizarre trash talk.
The event, meant to promote ticket sales, quickly devolved into a verbal jousting match. Dricus Du Plessis started off the whole talk when he revealed that he was the first African champion. DDP won the title, having trained his entire life in Africa, unlike Adesanya, who left for New Zealand.
I won this belt from South Africa. Didn’t travel anywhere else. That was the only thing I stated. Never discredited anybody. Quite frankly, I don’t really care about how it rubbed him off the wrong way… I’m glad you took up golf because that is a retirement sport.
Dricus Du Plessis via UFC 305 On-Sale Press Conference
Israel Adesanya came out swinging with some choice words. He vowed to dominate Du Plessis in their fight and recapture the middleweight belt. The former champ further vowed to show Du Plessis exactly where he stands in the fight game.
I don’t really give a f*** where he’s from but I’ll show him who he is… Hey man. You do what you have to do in your own time.
Israel Adesanya via UFC 305 On-Sale Press Conference
Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya go back and forth 😳
Dricus: I don’t really care about how it rubbed him
Adesanya: I don’t really give a f*** where he’s from but I’ll show him who he is
Dricus: I’m glad you took up golf, because you know that’s a retirement sport
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) July 3, 2024
The crux of this argument started when Adesanya had accused Du Plessis of discrediting the “Three Kings” of African MMA. These include Adesanya himself, Kamaru Usman, and Francis Ngannou. The press conference served as a spicy appetizer for their upcoming bout. UFC 305 in Perth, Australia, promises to be a barnburner.
Israel Adesanya and Dricus du Plessis separated after an intense faceoff
The world of mixed martial arts is no stranger to intense rivalries. However, the recent faceoff between Israel Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis took things to a new level. At a press event for their upcoming title bout, the two fighters engaged in what was probably one of the longest faceoffs in UFC history.
Israel Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis (via Daily Mail)The staredown lasted close to 90 seconds, with neither man willing to break eye contact. The duo had to be separated finally to break this staredown. The rivalry between the two became heated when Adesanya entered the Octagon after Du Plessis finished Robert Whittaker. Since then, the potential fight between these two is highly anticipated.
The matchup, set for UFC 305 in Perth on August 18, has large implications. If Adesanya reclaims the belt, he’ll make history as UFC’s first three-time middleweight champ. This isn’t just about titles. There’s bad blood between these fighters. This bad blood usually translates to huge sales and polarizing opinions.
