Tag: dricus du plessis

Israel Adesanya In ‘Way Better Headspace’ Post-UFC 305 Than After Sean Strickland Loss: ‘I Actually Enjoyed The Performance’ 

Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya may be on the first losing skid of his career, but the latest defeat has left him better off mentally. Adesanya made his return to action just under a year on from his setback last September, returning to Australian soil to challenge for Dricus Du Plessis’ gold in […]

Continue Reading Israel Adesanya In ‘Way Better Headspace’ Post-UFC 305 Than After Sean Strickland Loss: ‘I Actually Enjoyed The Performance’  at MMA News.

Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya may be on the first losing skid of his career, but the latest defeat has left him better off mentally.

Adesanya made his return to action just under a year on from his setback last September, returning to Australian soil to challenge for Dricus Du Plessis’ gold in the main event of UFC 305.

“The Last Stylebender” took a hiatus from the sport after being shockingly thrust off the throne by Sean Strickland at the Sydney-held UFC 293, citing his frequent activity as a factor that hampered his performance.

During his break, Adesanya refined his preparation and placed increased emphasis on areas such as nutrition and strength. And upon his return, the Nigerian-New Zealander played his part in one of the year’s best championship fights, going toe-to-toe with Du Plessis for the best part of four rounds.

Adesanya was ultimately submitted in the penultimate frame, a result that has halted his planned rise to three-time champ status and sent him on the first run of defeats his career has seen.

While some might have expected such a fact to leave him in a similar place as the period post-UFC 293 last year, “The Last Stylebender” says that is far from the case…

Adesanya Happy To Have ‘Showcased’ More At UFC 305

During an interview uploaded to his FREESTYLEBENDER YouTube channel, Adesanya reflected on his unsuccessful title challenger inside the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, this past weekend.

The former two-time middleweight kingpin continued to show humility and positivity in defeat, acknowledging that it wasn’t his night but insisting he was pleased with the performance he put in.

That is a far cry from how he looked at the surprise setback at the hands of Strickland 11 months ago.

“For me, I’m like, you know what? It’s cool. It was his night. Good for him,” Adesanya said. “This morning, I remember thinking like, ‘What’s next?’ … People think I need to get this one back. Nah, I’m chill. We’ll see what happens. I don’t know what’s next. I haven’t really thought that far (ahead). I just know I want to keep training, I want to keep getting better.

“I’m in a better headspace than I was after the last fight — way better,” Adesanya continued. “I actually enjoyed the performance, and I felt like I got to showcase a lot more of who I am, rather than just fighting injured and not really showcasing who I am. I just want to get back to the gym after this trip.”

It remains to be seen what could come next for Adesanya, who appeared firm in dismissing any retirement talk in the aftermath of the UFC 305 main event.

Continue Reading Israel Adesanya In ‘Way Better Headspace’ Post-UFC 305 Than After Sean Strickland Loss: ‘I Actually Enjoyed The Performance’  at MMA News.

Darren Till Takes Aim At Top UFC Middleweight Names: ‘Whittaker, I F**king Love You, But I Beat You’ 

Former UFC welterweight title challenger Darren Till has been getting vocal about the division he was once a part of, and that continued this week with some opinions on the top middleweight fighters. Till hasn’t competed in mixed martial arts since a defeat to then-future champion Dricus Du Plessis in late 2022. The start of […]

Continue Reading Darren Till Takes Aim At Top UFC Middleweight Names: ‘Whittaker, I F**king Love You, But I Beat You’  at MMA News.

Former UFC welterweight title challenger Darren Till has been getting vocal about the division he was once a part of, and that continued this week with some opinions on the top middleweight fighters.

Till hasn’t competed in mixed martial arts since a defeat to then-future champion Dricus Du Plessis in late 2022. The start of the subsequent year saw “The Gorilla” granted his release from the UFC, and he’s since had just one boxing outing.

All the while, the Liverpool native has vowed to return to the Octagon down the line and hasn’t shied away from giving his assessments of various fighters and matchups, especially at his most recent fighting weight in the UFC of 185 pounds.

That was on display this month when Till posted numerous tweets about the UFC 305 main event between Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya, offering advice to the latter while constantly berating his former opponent.

That trend has remained this week, but it wasn’t just the South African taking fire…

Till Berates Some, Praises Others: ‘DDP I Hate Your Guts…Sean I Like’

In a recent X post, Till gave his honest take on a number of notable names in the middleweight division, expressing somewhat positive thoughts on Marvin Vettori, Sean Strickland, and Robert Whittaker.

All three still caught some flak, but it was Du Plessis and Adesanya who took the brunt of it.

“Marvin I really like but ur sh*t. DDP I hate ur guts and ur sh*t. Izzy!!!! Ur gay and ur sh*t. Sean I like and ur ok cos u beat me up in the gym once I boxed ur head off. Whittaker I f**king love u but I beat you, you chose the sh*thouse way and took me down 10 seconds in the last round… ur sh*t.”

Till also didn’t miss an opportunity to quip at himself.

“Have I missed anyone out? Oh sh*t yeh… myself, I’m f**king so shit I really am.”

And newly crowned UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad also briefly entered the Scouser’s crosshairs.

“Also Belal Muhammad isn’t a real fighter strip him of his title he cheated against Leon!!!!!”

Continue Reading Darren Till Takes Aim At Top UFC Middleweight Names: ‘Whittaker, I F**king Love You, But I Beat You’  at MMA News.

Robert Whittaker Describes ‘Same Moment’ From His Fight Against Du Plessis That He Saw At UFC 305

Robert Whittaker recently drew a parallel to the identical situation from his own fight against Dricus Du Plessis, which he observed during the main event of UFC 305. “Stillknocks” successfully defended his UFC middleweight title last weekend, securing victory with a fourth-round rear-naked choke to submit Adesanya at the RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia. […]

Continue Reading Robert Whittaker Describes ‘Same Moment’ From His Fight Against Du Plessis That He Saw At UFC 305 at MMA News.

Robert Whittaker recently drew a parallel to the identical situation from his own fight against Dricus Du Plessis, which he observed during the main event of UFC 305.

“Stillknocks” successfully defended his UFC middleweight title last weekend, securing victory with a fourth-round rear-naked choke to submit Adesanya at the RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia.

The fight erupted at a blistering pace, with both fighters driving the action from the opening bell. The first round was a closely contested striking exchange, but in the second, Du Plessis relied on his superior grappling, securing multiple takedowns despite Adesanya’s resilience. As the third round unfolded, “The Last Stylebender” appeared to be in trouble but soon found his rhythm, landing powerful shots to the head and body.

Early in the fourth, the challenger seemed poised for a knockout, but Du Plessis turned the tide with punishing combinations, culminating in a perfectly timed takedown. He swiftly took Adesanya’s back and secured the submission victory moments later.

The South African’s unconventional fighting style, combined with the power in his hands, seems to be an enigma that his opponents can’t unravel. No one is better suited to attest to this than Whittaker, with his firsthand experience facing Du Plessis in the Octagon…

Whittaker Analyzes How Du Plessis Lulls Opponents Before Capitalizing

During a recent appearance on the MMArcade Podcast, ‘The Reaper’ dissected Du Plessis’ triumphant performance against Adesanya at UFC 305. Whittaker highlighted the uncanny similarity between his own second-round knockout loss to Du Plessis at UFC 290 in July 2023 and the manner in which Adesanya succumbed to the South African’s relentless power.

The former UFC middleweight champion observed that “Stillknocks” possesses a deceptive ability to coax his opponents into a false sense of security, making them believe he’s slow and predictable. But just when they start to feel comfortable, he surges forward with an unorthodox stance, unleashing powerful strikes that catch them off guard.

“There’s a method to his madness like I’m making light of it and making it funny, but the dude is a weapon. He’s a true warrior,” Whittaker said. “I can say that firsthand because he beat me right with the same cumbersome throwing punches. It’s funny—I saw the same moment Adesanya had in his fight that I had in my fight, and it was somewhere in the first round where you think you see the punches, you move out of the way of the punches, and you realize like he’s slow, I can see them, like I got this, it’s almost like you’re thinking, ‘This is too easy, I can see everything.’”

“And then, all of a sudden, he hits you. Then he starts climbing on you when he starts closing that gap a little bit more, like he starts, what, risking it a little bit more, like lunging into his shots, and he closes that inch that you thought you were safe by a little bit. Then there’s the factor of his power.”

“The Reaper” also highlighted that what truly makes Du Plessis a formidable force is his versatile style and the power that complements it perfectly.

“In that last exchange before the submission, Adesanya took some heavy shots. Adesanya’s got a great chin—he does, bastard. Dricus saw that too, pushed it, got the takedown, and then jumped on the back straight away—good instincts. He said he trained for that transition, and it looks good, but that’s just a testament to his power because his power is what got him the chance, the opportunity. There’s so much to dissect and so many ‘what ifs,’ like you’d have to ask him, but, like, man, to sum it all up, I think Adesanya looked outstanding. Dricus is just a warrior, and I understand what you need to do to beat him.”

Whittaker is eager to redeem his loss to Du Plessis and plans to do so by decisively defeating Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 in October. With his sights set on reclaiming his place as the top contender for the next title shot, he’s meticulously analyzing the reigning champion’s every move.

Continue Reading Robert Whittaker Describes ‘Same Moment’ From His Fight Against Du Plessis That He Saw At UFC 305 at MMA News.

Chael Sonnen Warns Dricus Du Plessis: ‘Israel Adesanya Does His Finest Work When It’s Personal!’ 

Former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen doesn’t think it’s wise for Dricus Du Plessis to rile Israel Adesanya up ahead of their championship clash Down Under this weekend. Du Plessis will defend his middleweight belt for the first time since winning it from Sean Strickland when he makes the walk to headline the UFC 305 […]

Continue Reading Chael Sonnen Warns Dricus Du Plessis: ‘Israel Adesanya Does His Finest Work When It’s Personal!’  at MMA News.

Former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen doesn’t think it’s wise for Dricus Du Plessis to rile Israel Adesanya up ahead of their championship clash Down Under this weekend.

Du Plessis will defend his middleweight belt for the first time since winning it from Sean Strickland when he makes the walk to headline the UFC 305 pay-per-view event, which takes place inside the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.

To maintain his grip on the belt, the South African is tasked with stalling Adesanya’s planned return to the throne for a record third time.

Beyond championship stakes, however, their matchup appears to be motivated by a bad-blood rivalry, sparked by some comments Du Plessis made regarding his status as the first fighter to achieve title glory on MMA’s biggest stage having been born, trained, and resided in Africa.

An early Octagon interview also saw Du Plessis use the term “real African,” which rubbed the likes of Adesanya and Kamaru Usman the wrong way.

With that in mind, there appears to be a personal element to the bout for the Nigerian-New Zealander. And one ex-fighter thinks that’s a dangerous scenario for the champ…

Sonnen On Adesanya’s UFC 305 Return: ‘When He Has Something Personal…’

During a recent episode of his Good Guy / Bad Guy show alongside Daniel Cormier on ESPN MMA’s YouTube channel, Sonnen looked ahead to the matchup tasked with topping the lineup in Perth.

In terms of the bad blood that appears to be fueling the animosity between the pair of headliners, “The American Gangster” thinks Adesanya now has the one element that was missing from his last UFC fight.

“It’s wildly important that our viewers understand what these guys are fighting for,” Sonnen said. “Israel Adesanya has done his finest work when it’s personal. As a matter of fact, the worst performance he’s put forward was against Sean Strickland, and the only thing that was missing was a personal feud. He didn’t have a problem with Sean when that fight happened. He wasn’t really looking at Sean. … When that fight was over, Dana wanted to do a rematch; in fact he offered Izzy an immediate rematch. He said no. He just never had heat with Sean.

“When he has something personal — excuse me, he called out Yoel Romero. You know how crazy that is? … It was personal. He told Dana, ‘Hey man, I got into this business because there’s guys that I want to fight…I don’t care what Yoel’s record is.’ That’s why this is so important,” Sonnen continued. “They didn’t just throw a belt out there…didn’t just dangle some pay-per-view points. The belt has nothing to do with it on Izzy’s side. And I will just contend for you, he does his final work when it’s personal.”

Having stated that he’s returning to competition to “take heads” instead of with any focus on the gold, Adesanya will hope to start by beheading the reigning middleweight kingpin come fight night in Australia.

And should he settle that grudge successfully by having his hand raised, perhaps he’d next turn his gaze back to Strickland and redemption against his fellow former champ.

Continue Reading Chael Sonnen Warns Dricus Du Plessis: ‘Israel Adesanya Does His Finest Work When It’s Personal!’  at MMA News.

MMA Coach Breaks Down Potential Alex Pereira vs Dricus Du Plessis Fight: ‘Ji?í Is Very Similar To Dricus…’

Following the main event of UFC 305, Alex Pereira kickstarted talks of a champion vs champion clash with a post on social media. Dricus Du Plessis was able to defend his middleweight title this past weekend by submitting Israel Adesanya in the fourth round. Though he would appear to be facing Sean Strickland in a […]

Continue Reading MMA Coach Breaks Down Potential Alex Pereira vs Dricus Du Plessis Fight: ‘Ji?í Is Very Similar To Dricus…’ at MMA News.

Following the main event of UFC 305, Alex Pereira kickstarted talks of a champion vs champion clash with a post on social media.

Dricus Du Plessis was able to defend his middleweight title this past weekend by submitting Israel Adesanya in the fourth round.

Though he would appear to be facing Sean Strickland in a rematch next and Pereira is booked to defend his light heavyweight crown at UFC 307, “Poatan” teased that he could move back down to 185-pounds to try and reclaim the middleweight strap.

Du Plessis has been underrated for a lot of his UFC career but being able to add Pereira to his record but would be a massive moment for “Stillknocks”.

Eric Nicksick Says Alex Pereira’s Counter-Striking Would Be A Big Problem For Dricus Du Plessis

Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick gave his thoughts on how that potential fight could play out during a recent interview with Submission Radio.

Nicksick has spent a long time breaking down Du Plessis’ unorthodox movement, timing and technique due to him being Strickland’s head coach.

He believes that unlike Adesanya and Strickland, Pereira presents a huge problem to the middleweight champion because of his accuracy and power.

Many have highlighted in the past how Du Plessis does leave himself open to taking damage even if his aggressive style is incredibly effective.

This is where Nicksick believes that you can’t afford to leave any gaps for “Poatan” to capitalize on, using Pereira’s fights against the incredibly dangerous and unpredictable Ji?í Procházka to illustrate his point.

“So comparison wise, think about what Alex Pereira would do to a guy like Ji?í Procházka and Ji?í’s very similar to Dricus in the erratic behaviour of the way he throws his punches. I think Ji?í is more of a feel fighter where he’s not putting predisposed combinations in his head off of these types of reads, he’s just kind of throwing. Whereas Dricus is throwing these things but he’s also leaving his hands behind in certain positions right, like if he’s hitting that switch cross or switch overhand, it’s like one hand’s in the pocket, the other hand’s in the pocket when he’s throwing that looping overhand.

“That’s where I think Alex Pereira is elite. I think he sees the holes in the defense so Dricus kind of hits those a couple times and Alex catches that timing, that’s where his counter striking is so great. I think that’s where Dricus will have problems. I don’t think you can have that same type of approach as many times as he did against Izzy as he could against Alex Pereira. It’s like that using the same pickup line at the bar with the same girl over and over and over and finally she’s like, ‘Fine, here, f*** it, here’s my number’. But after a while, you’re like dude, this is not going to work but then all of a sudden it works.”

Read also: Tom Aspinall Has High Praise For Dricus Du Plessis After UFC 305: ‘One Of The Smartest Fighters In The UFC’ 

Continue Reading MMA Coach Breaks Down Potential Alex Pereira vs Dricus Du Plessis Fight: ‘Ji?í Is Very Similar To Dricus…’ at MMA News.

Alex Pereira, Belal Muhammad, Aljamain Sterling, & Other MMA Fighters React To Dricus Du Plessis Submitting Israel Adesanya At UFC 305

Both men appeared to take round one to feel each other out and get their striking going. Adesanya landed strong starts early but appeared to get caught by Du Plessis later in the round. Du Plessis changed his gameplan in the second and looked for takedowns quickly, scoring multiple takedowns and fighting against wizzers from […]

Continue Reading Alex Pereira, Belal Muhammad, Aljamain Sterling, & Other MMA Fighters React To Dricus Du Plessis Submitting Israel Adesanya At UFC 305 at MMA News.

Both men appeared to take round one to feel each other out and get their striking going. Adesanya landed strong starts early but appeared to get caught by Du Plessis later in the round.

Du Plessis changed his gameplan in the second and looked for takedowns quickly, scoring multiple takedowns and fighting against wizzers from Adesanya. Du Plessis threatened a choke on more than one occasion. Adesanya appeared to get some sort of knockdown off a punch, but Du Plessis fell into him, knocking Adesanya down and allowing Du Plessis to get back into grappling control against the fence.

Both men had their moments during the third round, with Adesanya rocking Du Plessis with a spinning back elbow, and Du Plessis stunning him with combinations. But the New Zealander was landing more on the feet, with his work to Du Plessis’ body of note.

Adesanya continued to get the better of Du Plessis on the feet and troubled him in the fourth. That is, until Du Plessis blitzed back, getting to Adesanya’s back and bringing him back to the ground. There, Du Plessis finally locked in the same rear-naked choke he looked for in the second round and scored the submission.

Following the fight, Du Plessis gave respect to Adesanya, squashing their beef.

Meanwhile, despite the assumption a rematch between DDP and Sean Strickland will be next, and Alex Pereira defending the light heavyweight title against Khalil Rountree in October, Pereira took to social media to tease a move back down to 185 to challenge Du Plessis.

Dricus Du Plessis Submits Israel Adesanya To Remain Middleweight Champion

Du Plessis and Adesanya had a heated confrontation following UFC 290, where Du Plessis knocked out Robert Whittaker to earn a future title shot.

Du Plessis entered tonight with a nine-fight win streak, having not lost since dropping the KSW welterweight title in October 2018. Du Plessis defeated Sean Strickland at UFC 297 in January to win the UFC middleweight title.

This marked Adesanya’s first fight since his heavy upset loss to Strickland at UFC 293, losing the middleweight championship after regaining it from Alex Pereira at UFC 287. Adesanya had previously won the belt with a knockout of Whittaker at UFC 243 in October 2019, successfully defending the title five times before dropping it to Pereira at UFC 281.

Continue Reading Alex Pereira, Belal Muhammad, Aljamain Sterling, & Other MMA Fighters React To Dricus Du Plessis Submitting Israel Adesanya At UFC 305 at MMA News.