Tag: dricus du plessis

Daniel Cormier Wasn’t Interested In Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya Before ‘Uncomfortable’ Bad Blood

It took a some animosity for ex-UFC champion Daniel Cormier to see this weekend’s main event as a matchup worth getting excited for. Middleweight kingpin Dricus Du Plessis will put his title on the line for the first time in the headliner of the UFC 305 pay-per-view, where he’s tasked with stalling the three-time champ […]

Continue Reading Daniel Cormier Wasn’t Interested In Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya Before ‘Uncomfortable’ Bad Blood at MMA News.

It took a some animosity for ex-UFC champion Daniel Cormier to see this weekend’s main event as a matchup worth getting excited for.

Middleweight kingpin Dricus Du Plessis will put his title on the line for the first time in the headliner of the UFC 305 pay-per-view, where he’s tasked with stalling the three-time champ ambitions of Israel Adesanya.

The pair will enter the cage inside the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, in the culmination of a feud sparked well over a year ago as a result of some controversial remarks from the then-future titleholder.

In one of his early post-fight interviews in the UFC, “Stillknocks” branded himself the promotion’s “real African” fighter, referring to his continued stay in the continent. He reiterated that sentiment in regard to his pursuit of gold, vowing to become the first champion who was born, resides, and trains in Africa.

The comments resulted in some tense exchanges with Adesanya, who recently berated his opponent’s “colonialist mindset” at the start of UFC 305 fight week.

With that in mind, the sensitive nature of their bad blood shows no sign of waning as fight night approaches, and one former champ doesn’t see that as a bad thing…

Cormier: ‘I Want To See The Fight’ Because Of Du Plessis & Adesanya’s Feud

During a recent episode of his Good Guy / Bad Guy show alongside Chael Sonnen on ESPN MMA’s YouTube channel, Cormier looked ahead to this weekend’s PPV headliner Down Under.

In terms of the animosity between the pair ever since Adesanya took issue with Du Plessis’ words, Cormier suggested that in spite of the “uncomfortable” nature of the bad blood, it’s still taken his interest in the matchup from zero to 100.

“You don’t wanna say the wrong thing because it’s so easy to offend people on either side of the coin,” Cormier said. “When he (Du Plessis) said it, I thought he would kind of walk it back because of Usman and because of Ngannou and because of Izzy. He’s not walking it back. He’s standing on his idea that he’s the only true African champion. I don’t know that I’d agree…but for me, more importantly than all of that, I want to see the fight.

“If you would have told me, Chael, before all of this…all of this stuff that makes it so hot, that makes it so uncomfortable, I can seriously say to you I wasn’t very interested in those two guys fighting,” Cormier continued. “Now though, Chael, I am so interested in these two fighting because there’s something there. I love great fighters fighting each other, but when there’s a little bit extra, that is what draws me in as a fan. … This one this weekend has two of the best middleweights in the world, but they also have that bad blood, and it makes it fun.”

Du Plessis and Adesanya will finally have the chance to settle their grudge within the steel surroundings of the cage this weekend, 13 months on from their heated faceoff during International Fight Week.

Continue Reading Daniel Cormier Wasn’t Interested In Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya Before ‘Uncomfortable’ Bad Blood at MMA News.

Jon Anik Says Israel Adesanya will Unleash the Beast Against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305

Jon Anik Israel Adesanya Unleash Beast Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305Israel Adesanya vs. Dricus Du Plessis will be a middleweight title match for the ages, says UFC commentator Jon…

Jon Anik Israel Adesanya Unleash Beast Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305

Israel Adesanya vs. Dricus Du Plessis will be a middleweight title match for the ages, says UFC commentator Jon Anik. The UFC 305 main event is set to be a bad-blood showdown between the current champion facing the former king of the division.

Jon Anik Talks Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya

South Africa’s Dricus Du Plessis is on an impressive nine-fight win streak with his most recent bout being a title win against Sean Strickland. Along the way to UFC gold, ‘Stillknocks’ has also defeated Derek Brunson, Darren Till, and Robert Whittaker, among others.

‘The Last Stylebender’ Israel Adesanya, the Nigerian-Kiwi athlete, captured the UFC middleweight title by knockout against Robert Whittaker in 2019. he was able to defend this throne in five bouts overall. Lost and won the crown to Alex Pereira before losing it to Strickland.

Adesanya is from Nigeria originally and grew up in New Zealand. Along the way to UFC 305, he has taken great offense to Dricus Du Plessis calling himself an African champion. While Du Plessis is from South Africa, Adesanya says that Du Plessis is not African due to his heritage of being a white guy.

Israel Adesanya
PERTH, AUSTRALIA – JULY 03: Dricus du Plessis – UFC middleweight champion and Israel Adesanya – No.2 UFC middleweight stare off during the UFC 305 On Sale Press Conference on July 03, 2024 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Will Russell/Zuffa LLC)

This bad blood has likely inspired and given a flair to Adesanya says UFC commentator Jon Anik, who will be in the booth at UFC 305. Breaking down the match with Submission Radio, Anik explained:

Now, that’s just the nature, I think, of MMA, and a lot of Championship-level athletes would tell you that if you need that extra motivation at that level, then maybe you should find a different sport. But my gosh, you can be sure that this has unleashed the best type of beast when it comes to Israel’s preparation.

And yeah, on the other side, Israel Adesanya is fighting a dude who’s just like a truck and not a human being who just seemingly won’t be denied because maybe he’s more like a machine than a man. You know, Du Plessis is a fascinating champion. I also think that the nature of this matchup is gonna have him just completely locked in. I’m getting excited just talking to you about it. This is the first time I’m really talking about UFC 305, so when you set it up, I’m just getting all this energy.

It’s just going to be an electric MMA atmosphere when you have an MMA championship matchup like this, with friction and skill upon skill. It just doesn’t get any better.

Israel Adesanya Predicts Dricus Du Plessis Will ‘Shoot Straight Away’ At UFC 305: ‘I Doubt He’ll Want To Strike With Me’

Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya expects for his wrestling defense to be required come fight night against Dricus Du Plessis. Adesanya will headline this weekend’s UFC 305 pay-per-view event in competition for Du Plessis’ title. The South African captured the crown by dethroning Sean Strickland, who secured his brief reign by upsetting “The […]

Continue Reading Israel Adesanya Predicts Dricus Du Plessis Will ‘Shoot Straight Away’ At UFC 305: ‘I Doubt He’ll Want To Strike With Me’ at MMA News.

Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya expects for his wrestling defense to be required come fight night against Dricus Du Plessis.

Adesanya will headline this weekend’s UFC 305 pay-per-view event in competition for Du Plessis’ title. The South African captured the crown by dethroning Sean Strickland, who secured his brief reign by upsetting “The Last Stylebender” close to a year ago.

The Nigerian-New Zealander has not competed since, instead taking time to rest and recuperate following a period of intense activity after his undisputed title win back in 2019.

The RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, will be the stage for his mixed martial arts comeback, and Du Plessis is the man tasked with preventing a historic three-time feat at 185 pounds for Adesanya.

And while he used his unorthodox but effective striking style to get the better of Robert Whittaker and Strickland in the past, Adesanya expects his South African rival to resort to his grappling when stood across from his kickboxing talents…

Adesanya Ready To Prove Himself In The Grappling Realm Again

During an interview with Stake, Adesanya looked ahead to his first appearance inside the Octagon in 11 months and assessed the matchup that awaits him.

While those backing the champ have seemingly pointed to his forward-pressure style on the feet, which appeared to contribute to Adesanya’s undoing against Strickland, “The Last Stylebender” is predicting a quick grappling entry from Du Plessis.

“I think he’s going to shoot straight away. I doubt he’ll want to strike with me for too long,” Adesanya said. “This is something that people always say, but I’ve shown before that I can wrestle too. It might not be how everyone else wrestles, but I can wrestle too. That’s why I ended up becoming world champion.”

Should that be the case, Adesanya will look to prove those who doubt his grappling arsenal wrong by bringing the fight back to his favored environment, where he wants to deliver on the emphatic performance that both he and teammates like Alexander Volkanovski have predicted for him.

Continue Reading Israel Adesanya Predicts Dricus Du Plessis Will ‘Shoot Straight Away’ At UFC 305: ‘I Doubt He’ll Want To Strike With Me’ at MMA News.

Robert Whittaker offers Dricus du Plessis, Israel Adesanya UFC 305 fight prediction

Robert Whittaker offers Dricus du Plessis, Israel Adesanya UFC 305 fight predictionSharing the Octagon with both ahead of this weekend’s middleweight title fight, former champion, Robert Whittaker has claimed Saturday’s…

Robert Whittaker offers Dricus du Plessis, Israel Adesanya UFC 305 fight prediction

Sharing the Octagon with both ahead of this weekend’s middleweight title fight, former champion, Robert Whittaker has claimed Saturday’s clash between Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya is very much a “50-50” pairing between the duo.

Whittaker, the current number three ranked middleweight challenger and a former undisputed titleholder, has been sidelined since he took main event honors at UFC Saudi Arabia back in June, stopping Ikram Aliskerov with a dominant opening round knockout win.

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And already slated to make his return in a title-eliminator clash, Whittaker is set to draw the unbeaten, Khamzat Chimaev in a five round co-main event at UFC 308 in October, returning to Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Robert Whittaker offers prediction for UFC 305 title fight

Sharing his thoughts on this weekend’s title fight showdown between South African star, du Plessis and two-fight rival, Adesanya – Whittaker claimed the pairing is likely going to go down to the proverbial wire.

Dricus du Plessis mocks Israel Adesanya over kiss me jibe ahead of UFC 305 I'm not a dog

“If I had to make a pick, I’d say that there’s a 50% chance, this is my confidence here,” Robert Whittaker said on the MMArcade podcast. “I’m sitting on the fence, but I mean it. There’s a 50-50 odds. That’s how much I think either one could sway. I think there’s a 50% chance that Izzy (Israel Adesanya) kind of keeps him at the end of his jab, utilizes that spacing, doesn’t get his back put against the fence. Defends some takedowns but ultimately wins by decision.”

Whittaker UFC Saudi

“I also think there’s a 50% chance Dricus (du Plessis) does what he did to (Sean) Stirkcland, pushes into that space, takes him down, wears him out, turns it into a dog fight,” Robert Whittaker explained. “Doesn’t get a finish, but drags it out to the point where he’s still going to remain the champion.”

Brendan Allen Highlights What ‘Insanely Lucky’ Dricus Du Plessis’ UFC 305 Defense Against Israel Adesanya Will Come Down To (Exclusive)

UFC middleweight contender Brendan Allen believes the result of Dricus Du Plessis’ upcoming first title defense will be determined by which version of Israel Adesanya shows up. Seven months on from reaching the throne with his perfect UFC record intact, Du Plessis will look to add another achievement to his ever-growing résumé on mixed martial […]

Continue Reading Brendan Allen Highlights What ‘Insanely Lucky’ Dricus Du Plessis’ UFC 305 Defense Against Israel Adesanya Will Come Down To (Exclusive) at MMA News.

UFC middleweight contender Brendan Allen believes the result of Dricus Du Plessis’ upcoming first title defense will be determined by which version of Israel Adesanya shows up.

Seven months on from reaching the throne with his perfect UFC record intact, Du Plessis will look to add another achievement to his ever-growing résumé on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage by successfully defending the title for the first time.

To do so, the South African is tasked with stalling the three-time ambitions of Adesanya in the main event of Saturday’s UFC 305 pay-per-view, set for the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.

In the lead-up to his comeback from an 11-month layoff post-shock defeat to Sean Strickland, Adesanya has dismissed regaining the 185-pound gold as being his focus, instead stating that he’s back to “take heads.”

Whatever his motivation is, Allen thinks it has to be strong enough to bring back the formidable Adesanya who got the better of names like Alex Pereira and Paulo Costa if he’s to have his hand raised on August 17…

Allen On Du Plessis vs. Adesanya: ‘If It’s The Motivated Izzy…’

During a recent interview with MMA News’ Ryan Jarrell, Allen looked ahead to the upcoming championship contest in his division.

The #7-ranked contender suggested the result will be determined by which iteration of Adesanya returns to action. Rejuvenated and motivated? ‘And new’. Lackluster? ‘And still’.

“To be honest, I really don’t care (who wins). I don’t like either one of them,” Allen told MMA News. “I’m gonna watch it, of course, because I want to see. But I don’t care. I think we’ll see what Izzy comes back and how he’s been. I think that’s a big tell; what Izzy comes back. Is it a resurged, re-energized Izzy? Or is it like, ‘I don’t know if I wanna be here.’ It’s easy to talk it, it’s easy to watch it, it’s easy to fake it. But you can’t fake it when it’s fight time. That’s the only time we’ll know for sure.

“Obviously Dricus is super confident. He’s at the height of his career. He’s insanely confident, insanely lucky,” Allen continued. “I don’t know, man. I don’t really care who wins. To me, it just depends which Izzy comes back. if it’s the motivated Izzy, I would say Izzy. If it’s the Izzy that fought like, Paulo or Alex the last time, that Izzy is a tough Izzy to beat, man. … If it’s the lackluster one, i don’t think he’s gonna win. Dricus is just gonna keep pushing the pace.”

Allen will be hoping to book his spot opposite the winner down the line by having his hand raised at the expense of Nassourdine Imavov in Paris next month. Success in that regard would leave “All In” on an eight-fight win streak.

But before attention on the middleweight division turns to that co-headliner in the French capital this fall, all eyes are on the impending grudge match between Du Plessis and Adesanya Down Under.

Continue Reading Brendan Allen Highlights What ‘Insanely Lucky’ Dricus Du Plessis’ UFC 305 Defense Against Israel Adesanya Will Come Down To (Exclusive) at MMA News.

PHOTOS: Dricus Du Plessis & Israel Adesanya’s Custom Shorts For UFC 305

UFC 305 headliners Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya will be the latest to enter the Octagon with custom-designed fight gear. For a while, featherweight contender Bryce Mitchell marked the only athlete who made the walk in custom shorts, donning his camouflage gear to the cage. This year, however, the promotion and its uniform partner […]

Continue Reading PHOTOS: Dricus Du Plessis & Israel Adesanya’s Custom Shorts For UFC 305 at MMA News.

UFC 305 headliners Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya will be the latest to enter the Octagon with custom-designed fight gear.

For a while, featherweight contender Bryce Mitchell marked the only athlete who made the walk in custom shorts, donning his camouflage gear to the cage. This year, however, the promotion and its uniform partner Venum have expanded that in a big way.

UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley was the first in 2024, receiving bright pink shorts for his title defense against Marlon Vera in Miami this past March. The following month, Alex Pereira, Zhang Weili, Justin Gaethje, and Max Holloway all wore custom kits at the milestone UFC 300 event at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.

Dustin Poirier was next with floral shorts at UFC 302, while UFC 303 later in June saw Ian Garry in purple gear. Last month, meanwhile, saw Leon Edwards and Paddy Pimblett given custom gear for their home fights at UFC 304 in Manchester.

The initiative shows no signs of slowing, and the latest reveal ahead of the UFC 305 pay-per-view has displayed the shorts that will be worn by Du Plessis and Adesanya as they duke it out for the middleweight championship.

“Stillknocks” and “The Last Stylebender” will look to settle their grudge from last year when they headline this weekend’s event in Perth, Australia.

While they top the lineup with gold on the line, the likes of former flyweight title challenger Steve Erceg, lightweight fan favorite Dan Hooker, and hard-hitting heavyweight Tai Tuivasa will also be among those in action.

MMA Fans React To Du Plessis, Adesanya’s Custom UFC 305 Shorts: ‘Best Ones So Far’

Plenty in the mixed martial arts community flocked to social media to give their thoughts on the latest custom shorts. And by the looks of things, the designs went down well…

Continue Reading PHOTOS: Dricus Du Plessis & Israel Adesanya’s Custom Shorts For UFC 305 at MMA News.