MIAMI – UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya wants to punish Dricus Du Plessis for his recent words.
Du Plessis claimed he and teammate Cameron Saaimon were the only true African UFC fighters. He also took a shot at Nigeria-born Adesanya (24-2 MMA, 13-2 UFC) and Kamaru Usman, who left their home countries at an early age and live elsewhere.
Since he was born, raised and still resides in Africa, Du Plessis (19-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) said he would be the first true African UFC champion if he wins the belt.
“Did those belts ever go to Africa?” Du Plessis told reporters during the UFC 285 media day. “As far as I know, they came to America and New Zealand. I’m going to take a belt to Africa. I’m the African fighter in the UFC. Myself and Cameron, we breathe African air. We wake up in Africa every day. We train in Africa, we’re African born, we’re African raised, we still reside in Africa, we train out of Africa – that’s an African champion, and that’s who I’ll be.”
If Du Plessis does climb his way to a title shot, Adesanya would be happy to make him pay.
“F*ck, I don’t want to give (Du Plessis) no clout,” Adesanya told reporters at the UFC 287 post-fight press conference. “I want to whoop his ass so bad. I want to do it in South Africa, or Nigeria, but he’s got to do work. He’s got to do something. Show me something so I can whoop that ass and I can show you history. I’ll remind you, because you’ve got to choose your words wisely when you speak on people that have come before you, people that have paved the way for you. You’ve got to pick your words wisely.
“If he does work, and I pray to God he keeps winning, I will gladly drag his carcass across South Africa.”
Unbeaten in the UFC, Du Plessis is coming off back-to-back finishes of Darren Till and, most recently, Derek Brunson at UFC 285 in March. He currently sits at No. 6 in the UFC’s middleweight rankings.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 287.