Despite the previous tensions between Dricus Du Plessis and his first title challenger, Israel Adesanya, the champion has shown his opponent some respect ahead of August 17.
“Stillknocks” does have a lot of appreciation for what the former champion has been able to accomplish in his career.
For all of the plaudits that “The Last Stylebender” has rightfully earned during his six-year run with the UFC, Du Plessis questions whether he can continue fighting at this level.
The champ believes that Adesanya’s time at the top may have run it’s course and has theorized whether he still has that same hunger inside of him at this stage.
Dricus Du Plessis Says He Would Try To Pull Out Of The Fight If He Was In Israel Adesanya’s Shoes
In a recent interview with New York Post Sports, Du Plessis was asked what he would do if he was in his opponent’s shoes if, like he says, Adesanya doesn’t have enough left in the tank to become middleweight champion again.
His response was a joke about avoiding the fight altogether at this stage, but he went on to explain more about what he sees as the key difference between them.
With him being just around the corner from his first title defense as Adesanya looks to become a three-time middleweight champion, he believes that the two men are just at very different points in their careers heading into UFC 305 in Perth.
“Well if I was in his shoes right now, I would find a way to pull out of this fight to be honest because I’m coming. I’m feeling great, I’m feeling the best I’ve ever felt and that’s the banter in me, getting ready for that but in all honesty, to go and say he doesn’t have the fire, I think the fire might be there. But, it’s just too small. My fire is just shadowing his fire, maybe that’s why I don’t see the fire in him because of the fire in me.”
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