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Israel Adesanya Compares Dricus Du Plessis’ ‘Awkward’ Style With Former Opponent

A lot has changed since Israel Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis first faced off inside the Octagon at UFC 290 last year. The middleweight title has been exchanged between them without them fighting inside the Octagon, but that changes at UFC 305 on August 17. At the time, Adesanya would have been considered to be […]

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A lot has changed since Israel Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis first faced off inside the Octagon at UFC 290 last year.

The middleweight title has been exchanged between them without them fighting inside the Octagon, but that changes at UFC 305 on August 17.

At the time, Adesanya would have been considered to be a big favorite against the challenger, even after Du Plessis stunned the MMA world by stopping Robert Whittaker.

However, the South African fighter then went on to defeat Sean Strickland for the 185-pound belt. This was after “The Last Stylebender” was convincingly beaten by the short-notice title challenger Strickland at UFC 293, making this upcoming fight very different.

One of the biggest arguments that can be made for the champion retaining the title in Perth is the awkward timing and movement that Du Plessis brings into the cage.

We saw how Strickland was able to stifle Adesanya’s offense and whilst Du Plessis may not have the same defensive ability, he’s very unpredictable.

In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, the former two-time champion said that he doesn’t expect this to be a problem for him despite “Stillknocks” presenting some issues.

He compared him to a former opponent of his in Marvin Vettori, who Adesanya has faced and beaten twice, with one added element to his game.

“A bit like Vettori to be honest but he’s just more of a risk taker than Vettori. So yeah, I don’t think I’ll have an issue dealing with what he brings but it’s the intangibles, the unknown unknowns. He takes way more risks than Vettori so that’s what makes him really dangerous.”

Israel Adesanya Says Du Plessis Fight Isn’t Personal Despite ‘Blasphemous’ Comments

This fight has had a long time to build and in that time, things have been said that likely aren’t going to be forgiven and forgotten when the dust settles.

Du Plessis’ comments about being the first African champion kicked this feud off and whilst Adesanya wants to make him pay for that, he doesn’t believe that this bout is on the same level as some of his great rivalries in the past.

“The Last Stylebender” told Mike Bohn that he won’t move past what his next opponent said but that doesn’t mean it’s personal for him.

“Nah, I haven’t even fought the guy yet. Those rivalries with Whittaker and Pereira, those are etched in history. Me and this guy haven’t even fought yet. We tried to fight, it never happened, so now we’ll fight and set the score. But nah, it’s not really personal. What he said was blasphemous cuz without myself, Francis and Kamaru, he wouldn’t be able to be champion. So, what he said was really blasphemous and he’ll take accountability for what he said.”

Continue Reading Israel Adesanya Compares Dricus Du Plessis’ ‘Awkward’ Style With Former Opponent at MMA News.

Former Fighter On Du Plessis Getting Under Adesanya’s Skin: ‘Reacts Incredibly Emotionally’

Israel Adesanya faces a new test when he returns at UFC 305 to try and reclaim the middleweight title in a fight with Dricus Du Plessis. “The Last Stylebender” has had his rivals in the past and whilst his story with Alex Pereira has defined big parts of both men’s careers, and the likes of […]

Continue Reading Former Fighter On Du Plessis Getting Under Adesanya’s Skin: ‘Reacts Incredibly Emotionally’ at MMA News.

Israel Adesanya faces a new test when he returns at UFC 305 to try and reclaim the middleweight title in a fight with Dricus Du Plessis.

“The Last Stylebender” has had his rivals in the past and whilst his story with Alex Pereira has defined big parts of both men’s careers, and the likes of Marvin Vettori and Sean Strickland weren’t big fans of his, this one is different.

No opponent has been able to bring this kind of intensity out of the former champion quite like Du Plessis has. due to his comments on bringing the title back to Africa.

This opens up the debate whether Adesanya fights best when he’s relaxed or amped up.

Megan Anderson Says That Israel Adesanya’s Emotion Could Help Or Hinder Him At UFC 305

In a recent preview video of the UFC’s return to Perth on her own YouTube channel, former UFC fighter Megan Anderson spoke about the war of words between Du Plessis and Adesanya.

Things appeared to have calmed down (a little) on this front if their most recent encounter was anything to go by but there is clearly still some tension there which could come back around on fight week.

Anderson believes that Adesanya’s previous interactions with the champion don’t paint the best image for him unless, of course, he can use this dislike of Du Plessis to raise his game another level.

“If anything has shown us, anytime these two get together, Israel reacts incredibly emotionally. He is saying things that we’ve never heard him say before, he is really just going out there and just being so incredibly passionate about this. How much of that is Dricus really revving up this whole rivalry between them and this is getting under Israel’s skin, we’re going to find out. But, whether it hurts him or helps him perform, that’s the biggest question for me.”

Continue Reading Former Fighter On Du Plessis Getting Under Adesanya’s Skin: ‘Reacts Incredibly Emotionally’ at MMA News.

Coach Dismisses Outcome Of Decade-Old Sparring Session Between Adesanya & Du Plessis: ‘We’ve Heard Stories Of AJ Being Knocked Out In Boxing…’

Israel Adesanya’s striking coach, Michael Angove, recently brushed off the importance of an almost decade-old sparring session between “The Last Stylebender” and Dricus Du Plessis. Du Plessis is poised to defend his middleweight title for the first time in a highly anticipated grudge match against Adesanya, headlining the UFC 305 card at Perth’s RAC Arena […]

Continue Reading Coach Dismisses Outcome Of Decade-Old Sparring Session Between Adesanya & Du Plessis: ‘We’ve Heard Stories Of AJ Being Knocked Out In Boxing…’ at MMA News.

Israel Adesanya’s striking coach, Michael Angove, recently brushed off the importance of an almost decade-old sparring session between “The Last Stylebender” and Dricus Du Plessis.

Du Plessis is poised to defend his middleweight title for the first time in a highly anticipated grudge match against Adesanya, headlining the UFC 305 card at Perth’s RAC Arena in Western Australia on August 17.

Adesanya and Du Plessis have been on an inevitable trajectory toward each other long before their tempestuous confrontation in the Octagon at UFC 290 in July 2023. However, that explosive encounter was not their only meeting; their rivalry dates back to well before they became prominent figures in the world of MMA.

In a video that surfaced on social media last year, captured in 2016 at the Tiger Muay Thai training facility in Thailand, Du Plessis was seen sparring with former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. During this session, the South African unintentionally bumped into Adesanya. The brief encounter saw them exchange apologies before they resumed their separate training.

After the clip gained significant traction, both Adesanya and Du Plessis reflected on their past training session multiple times. The Nigerian-born Kiwi admitted to struggling in the grappling exchanges but claimed to have outshone “Stillknocks” in striking. In contrast, Du Plessis insisted that he “manhandled” his future opponent throughout the entire session.

However, Angove believes that the past has little bearing on the present…

Angove States One Training Session Doesn’t Ensure Du Plessis Will Outperform Adesanya Again

During a recent interview with The Scrap, Angove was questioned about the training session between Adesanya and Du Plessis. The City Kickboxing coach responded diplomatically, stressing that past events are irrelevant in the present context. He highlighted that both fighters, particularly his protégé, have undergone significant evolution since then.

“It is what it is, you know, it was 10 years ago, that’s a decade,” Angove said. “What happens in the training room and all those factors, I mean, we’ve heard stories of AJ [Anthony Joshua] being knocked out in boxing. You get guys who get chinned by sparring partners, but none of that matters because so much water has gone under the bridge. You know, one training session, once, when one guy got the better of someone in one particular exchange does not mean whooped his sh*t, to be honest.”

Angove further emphasized that Adesanya showcased robust takedown defense against formidable opponents like Yoel Romero and Derek Brunson, both known for their wrestling-heavy game. In contrast, Du Plessis was taken down by Brunson in their fight.

“Let’s not forget, Romero couldn’t hold Izzy down, couldn’t take him down. Derek Brunson couldn’t get him down, and we know that Derek took Dricus down. So, you know, time moves, and Dricus will have improved since then as well. But we don’t operate in this kind of time-free style. These guys are elite athletes who have developed so that they’re at the top of the MMA game, and that’s how we look at it.”

Read More: Dricus Du Plessis Warns Israel Adesanya Being At Peace Will Cost Him At UFC 305: ‘It’s A Dangerous Place To Be At…’

Continue Reading Coach Dismisses Outcome Of Decade-Old Sparring Session Between Adesanya & Du Plessis: ‘We’ve Heard Stories Of AJ Being Knocked Out In Boxing…’ at MMA News.

Israel Adesanya’s Coach Feels ‘Real African’ Comments From Dricus Du Plessis A Smart Marketing Ploy: ‘Conor Not Being Able To Get Inside Khabib’s Head…’

The main event of UFC 305 features one of the biggest rivalry match-ups of the year finally take place as middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis meets former titleholder Israel Adesanya. August 17 in Perth would have been a fight that fans were looking forward to regardless but comments that were made over a year ago, […]

Continue Reading Israel Adesanya’s Coach Feels ‘Real African’ Comments From Dricus Du Plessis A Smart Marketing Ploy: ‘Conor Not Being Able To Get Inside Khabib’s Head…’ at MMA News.

The main event of UFC 305 features one of the biggest rivalry match-ups of the year finally take place as middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis meets former titleholder Israel Adesanya.

August 17 in Perth would have been a fight that fans were looking forward to regardless but comments that were made over a year ago, at this point, have made this one drastically more tense.

Before he was even the number one contender, Du Plessis spoke about bringing the belt back to Africa as the first true African champion because he lives and trains in South Africa to this day.

A coach of Adesanya’s at City Kickboxing in New Zealand gives the champion credit for what he believes was an intentional move to stir the pot.

Michael Angove Says That Dricus Du Plessis’ Comments Were Intentional

Michael Angove spoke in a recent interview with The Scrap about Du Plessis’ comments that made this fight mean a whole lot more than Adesanya becoming a three-time champion.

Angove suggested that given Adesanya’s personality and pride, the current champion must have known that he would get a reaction by saying what he did.

“We may as well start there as that’s what kicked it all off. Dricus is many things but he isn’t stupid. That was a calculated statement, I make no apologies for suggesting that’s calculated. You know that a guy from Nigeria with ‘broken native’ written across his chest, with the continent of Africa across his chest, is going to feel very, very attached to his homeland.

“Clever marketing, well done Dricus, he knows the whole history of South Africa as well. That’s going to motivate people, it’s great, it’s built this fight to a much higher level than it might have been otherwise and here we are and I think there is a pretty fair degree of animosity there based on that. Great marketing, great way to get under someone’s skin and the world is now watching.”

Despite believing that Du Plessis made this personal on purpose, Angove doesn’t necessarily blame him for doing so.

He explained how both selling the fight and trying to emotionally manipulate an opponent are two aspects of the sport and they both matter at this level.

“That’s the nature of the fight game, it’s smart. Everyone plays both marketing and mind games and at the highest level, at the elite level, those things can make a difference. Conor not being able to get inside Khabib’s head made a difference. Conor not being able to get inside Nate Diaz’s head made a difference. You saw the difference when Conor made people insane with rage versus guys who were just focused and let it wash over them.”

Continue Reading Israel Adesanya’s Coach Feels ‘Real African’ Comments From Dricus Du Plessis A Smart Marketing Ploy: ‘Conor Not Being Able To Get Inside Khabib’s Head…’ at MMA News.

Alexander Volkanovski Predicts ‘Paulo Costa’ Performance For Israel Adesanya In UFC 305 Return: ‘Dricus Is A Tough Guy, But…’

Former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is envisioning a strong return to competition for his teammate and friend Israel Adesanya later this month. Adesanya hasn’t competed since losing the middleweight title in surprising fashion against Sean Strickland last September at UFC 293 in Sydney. He subsequently pointed to a high level of activity when announcing […]

Continue Reading Alexander Volkanovski Predicts ‘Paulo Costa’ Performance For Israel Adesanya In UFC 305 Return: ‘Dricus Is A Tough Guy, But…’ at MMA News.

Former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is envisioning a strong return to competition for his teammate and friend Israel Adesanya later this month.

Adesanya hasn’t competed since losing the middleweight title in surprising fashion against Sean Strickland last September at UFC 293 in Sydney. He subsequently pointed to a high level of activity when announcing plans for an extended layoff.

That break comes to an end in less than two weeks’ time, with “The Last Stylebender” set for the chance to achieve three-time champ status when he returns to action back on Australian soil.

At UFC 305 on August 17, Perth’s RAC Arena will play host to Adesanya’s comeback fight opposite reigning 185-pound kingpin Dricus Du Plessis.

The South African has continued to prove his detractors wrong on MMA’s biggest stage, first by earning top contender status with a win over Robert Whittaker last year and then by dethroning Strickland this past January in Canada.

In Adesanya, though, Volkanovski thinks “Stillknocks” will arrive at a hurdle too tall…

Volkanovski Predicts ‘Incredible’ Comeback Performance For Adesanya

During an interview with talkSPORT MMA while in Manchester for UFC 304 late last month, Volkanovski looked ahead to the promotion’s next numbered event, which takes place in his home country Down Under.

“Alexander the Great,” an occasional teammate of Adesanya’s at City Kickboxing in New Zealand, is expecting the former two-time champ to have gold wrapped around his waist to close out the card on August 17.

And to do so, Volkanovski is predicting the kind of performance that Adesanya put in to claim the title for the first time in 2019 and record his second defense a year later.

“We’re gonna see him coming back; I think he’s gonna look incredible,” Volkanovski said. “Dricus is a tough guy, great fighter. But I think this Israel that’s gonna turn up is gonna be one of those — you know, when he comes back and you see a Paulo Costa performance, or even the first Robert Whittaker performance.”

With talk of a bulked-up physique and improvements behind closed doors since returning to training earlier this year, Adesanya will look to show that he’s got plenty left in the tank by returning to the middleweight throne in emphatic fashion.

Read More: Dricus Du Plessis Feels He Would Have Knocked Israel Adesanya Out If He Were In Sean Strickland’s Shoes: ‘If I Catch Him With That Shot…’

Continue Reading Alexander Volkanovski Predicts ‘Paulo Costa’ Performance For Israel Adesanya In UFC 305 Return: ‘Dricus Is A Tough Guy, But…’ at MMA News.

Dricus Du Plessis Predicts How Potential ‘Title Eliminator’ Sean Strickland vs. Robert Whittaker Would Go: ‘I Think It Comes Down To…’

As Dricus Du Plessis prepares to defend his middleweight title at UFC 305 for the first time, two of his former opponents could be set to meet in a huge clash. Both former champions Robert Whittaker and Sean Strickland have claims to be the next in line for a title shot after Israel Adesanya. Though […]

Continue Reading Dricus Du Plessis Predicts How Potential ‘Title Eliminator’ Sean Strickland vs. Robert Whittaker Would Go: ‘I Think It Comes Down To…’ at MMA News.

As Dricus Du Plessis prepares to defend his middleweight title at UFC 305 for the first time, two of his former opponents could be set to meet in a huge clash.

Both former champions Robert Whittaker and Sean Strickland have claims to be the next in line for a title shot after Israel Adesanya.

Though Strickland believes he doesn’t need to fight again to get the next opportunity, a number one contender’s match-up would make a lot of sense for the division.

Having faced and defeated both men, Du Plessis finds this fight difficult to call but he did give his analysis and prediction.

Dricus Du Plessis Says Grappling Exchange Key To Whittaker vs. Strickland

Du Plessis has remained on the fence in the past when being asked about this fight because he didn’t have a clear image in his head of the way that it takes place.

He spoke during a recent interview with mainevent on Fox Sports where after giving it some thought, he broke down how he sees it going.

Du Plessis said the crucial element for both men is being able to utilize their greatest strengths, whether it’s the pressure of Strickland or the blitz assault from Whittaker.

He gave the bold prediction that this one could come down to who wins the grappling exchanges despite both men being known for their striking.

If this is the case, he sided with “The Reaper” to get his hand raised.

“The fact that I really honestly can’t say off the bat means it’s gonna be a great fight. I honestly think it’s going to come down to the same thing, imposing game plans. If you let Strickland walk forward like he did with Paulo Costa and like he did with Israel Adesanya, if you give him that space and that momentum, it’s really really hard to take it back and it’s really hard to swing that fight. So, to make sure that Rob fights his fight. If Rob can do his blitzes the way he does then I think he takes that fight. I think it comes down to a wrestling and clinch game and I think Rob wins that fight.”

Continue Reading Dricus Du Plessis Predicts How Potential ‘Title Eliminator’ Sean Strickland vs. Robert Whittaker Would Go: ‘I Think It Comes Down To…’ at MMA News.