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Israel Adesanya accepts call out from Dricus du Plessis after UFC 297 title win: ‘Our paths are destined to cross again’

Israel Adesanya accepts call out from Dricus du Plessia after UFC 297 our paths are destined to cross Former two-time middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya appears to be all ears toward last night’s call out from rival and…

Former two-time middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya appears to be all ears toward last night’s call out from rival and newly-crowned divisional champion, Dricus du Plessis following UFC 297 – claiming the duo’s paths are “destined” to cross once more.

Adesanya, a former two-time undisputed middleweight titleholder, has been sidelined since he took main event honors at UFC 293 back in September, suffering his second championship loss in the space of a year, in the form of an upset decision loss to Sean Strickland in Australia.

And failing to appear at UFC 297 last night in Toronto, Adesanya was initially expected to feature at Octagon-side ahead of the main event bout, between Strickland and South African force, du Plessis.

Turning in a close, split judging win over Strickland, Pretoria native, du Plessis landed his first title victory since his move to the Octagon four years prior, retaining his promotional-perfect run to boot in a hard-fought five round clash with the champion.

And immediately switching focus to his first title defense in the immediate aftermath of his UFC 297 win, du Plessis urged City Kickboxing staple, Adesanya to make a hasty return to the Octagon – amid links to a quickfire turnaround on a monumental UFC 300 card in April.

Israel Adesanya welcomes Dricus du Plessis fight

Welcoming the opportunity to settle the score with du Plessis in a bid to become a three-time middleweight gold holder, Nigerian-Kiwi striker, Adesanya responded on social media.

“IS~RA~EL ADESANYA,” Israel Adesanya posted on his official X account. “This arc in my story was written long ago. Our paths are destined to cross again. Stay tuned for the next episode, thanks for watching. We Write History.”

Sharing the Octagon in a tense face-off back in July of last year following UFC 290 during International Fight Week, Adesanya’s planned September fight with du Plessis was scuppered after the latter was unable to recover from a lingering injury suffered pre-fight.

Who wins in a future championship fight: Dricus du Plessis or Israel Adesanya?

Dricus Du Plessis Ready to ‘Settle The Score’ with Israel Adesanya Following UFC 297 Title Victory

Dricus Du Plessis is your new UFC middleweight champion. Emanating from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, UFC 297…

Dricus Du Plessis is your new UFC middleweight champion.

Emanating from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, UFC 297 delivered a memorable main-event matchup between defending titleholder Sean Strickland and the South African standout. As things got underway, Strickland lit up ‘DDP’ with his signature jab. The same one that caused a plethora of problems for Israel Adesanya last year. However, Du Plessis fared much better than ‘The Last Stylebender’ by mixing up his attacks on the feet before shooting in for takedowns.

Though ‘Stillknocks’ was unable to keep Strickland on the canvas for long, the threat of the takedown was enough to put the outspoken superstar on his back foot long enough for Du Plessis to take control of the third and fourth rounds. Strickland poured it on in the final five minutes, but by then, it just wasn’t enough.

‘DDP’ walked away with the win and his first UFC title via split decision.

Following the contest, Du Plessis spoke with Daniel Cormier during his post-fight interview where he broke down his performance and what he believes ultimately earned him the 185-pound crown.

“I honestly thought with the takedowns, I made sure on every round,” Du Plessis said of his performance. “I could feel it was a close fight. I felt that he gets up really well. I felt the first three rounds was give and take but those last two rounds I know. I was there for rounds four and five. Who says this guy’s not a five round fighter?

“He has a super, super strong jab. It feels like somebody hits you with a rock. It was imperative that I make him go backwards. If I’m pressuring with this physique, I promise you’re going to get tired. Sean Strickland, you said to death, I tried to kill you in here tonight, didn’t quite get there but you are one hell of a man. Thank you for bringing the best out of me. It was an honor sharing the cage with you.”

Before exiting the Octagon to go celebrate with his family, Du Plessis called out Israel Adesanya.

“Israel Adesanya, get your ass back in the UFC so we can settle the score,” Du Plessis shouted while addressing the former middleweight champion.

Following Du Plessis’ second-round knockout of Robert Whittaker in July, Adesanya entered the cage for an intense face-off with ‘Stillknocks’ that quickly became uncomfortable. ‘DDP’ was slated to fight the ‘Stylebender’ in September 2023, but the eight-week turnaround was too soon for Du Plessis to accept the fight, paving the way for Strickland to step in and shock the world.

With ‘DDP’ now carrying the gold, we could finally see Du Plessis and Adesanya settle their issues inside the Octagon.

Sean Strickland, Dricus du Plessis’s Next Best Fights After UFC 297 Results

Dricus du Plessis captured the UFC’s middleweight crown with a split-decision win over Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 297. The win punctuated a 6-0…

Sean Strickland Willing to Make a Quick Turnaround for Israel Adesanya Rematch at UFC 300 if the Price Is Right

Sean Strickland has opened the door for a potential rematch with Israel Adesanya at UFC 300. After scoring a…

Sean Strickland has opened the door for a potential rematch with Israel Adesanya at UFC 300.

After scoring a stunning upset against ‘The Last Stylebender’ to claim the middleweight world championship in September, Strickland will return to the Octagon on Saturday night (January 20) to defend his title for the first time against No. 2 ranked contender Dricus Du Plessis. The two strikers will headline the promotion’s return to Toronto where fight fans will also witness the coronation of a new bantamweight queen.

The UFC’s return to The Great White North comes three months ahead of one of the most anticipated events in the promotion’s 30+ year history.

Dana White has already stacked UFC 300 with a plethora of can’t-miss clashes, including a recently-announced BMF bout between Justin Gaethje and former featherweight champ Max Holloway. However, the event is shockingly light on title tilts with only Zhang Weili scheduled to defend her strawweight strap against fellow Chinese star Yan Xianon thus far.

Leon Edwards is rumored to defend his welterweight title against Belal Muhammad at the event, but the prospect of that fight isn’t exactly setting the MMA world on fire.

It is possible that the UFC could slap together a middleweight title showcase for UFC 300, depending on who comes out on top in ‘Hogtown’ and the damage sustained. Asked about making the relatively quick turnaround for a rematch with Adesanya at the massive milestone event, Sean Strickland indicated that he’s certainly open to the idea, so long as the UFC comes correct with an offer.

“As with all things, how much money you paying me? As of now, no,” Strickland told members of the press on Wednesday. “But how much money you paying me?”

Following his loss to Sean Strickland at UFC 293, Israel Adesanya indicated that he would take a lengthy break away from the fight game, but the ‘Stylebender’ has seemingly nixed those plans, suggesting a return to the cage is closer than we think.

“Me right now, I’m taking my time,” Adesanya said during an interview with iFL TV in December. “My last few fights, I had four fights in 14 months as a champion in the UFC. That’s unheard of. I was the most active champion, not fighter, champion in the league. So life has forced me to take some time off and I will, but you will see me soon.”

Are you interested in seeing Adesanya and Strickland run it back as part of the biggest event in UFC history?

Israel Adesanya picks Dricus du Plessis to beat Sean Strickland at UFC 297: ‘Does it go the distance? No’

Former two-time undisputed middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya will surely have a keen eye on proceedings at UFC 297 this…

Former two-time undisputed middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya will surely have a keen eye on proceedings at UFC 297 this weekend, and has made a bold prediction that arch-rival, Dricus du Plessis will not just beat – but finish soon-to-be common-opponent, Sean Strickland in Canada.

Adesanya, a former two-time undisputed middleweight titleholder, has been sidelined since he headlined UFC 293 back in September in Australia, dropping his championship belt in a unanimous decision loss to Strickland – with the bout coming as one of the biggest upsets in recent Octagon memory.

As for South African challenger, du Plessis, the Pretoria native has been sidelined since he earned his championship tilt off the back of a stunning second round TKO win over former champion, Robert Whittaker at UFC 290 back in July during International Fight Week.

Israel Adesanya picks Dricus du Plessis to win title at UFC 297

And weighing up the option of fighting Adesanya in his immediate future ahead of UFC 297, promotional-perfect contender, du Plessis has been picked to emerge with the middleweight title in tow by Adesanya.

“I’m gonna go with Dricus [du Plessis] (to beat Sean Strickland at UFC 297), “Israel Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. “Does it go the distance? I’m gonna say no. Not that I don’t respect Sean (Strickland) or his skills, the guy beat me, so, of course I respect his skills.”

Himself sidelined through an undisclosed injury in the time since his championship fight loss to Strickland, Adesanya claimed he would not be able to return to training full time until potentially the end of February – amid continued links to a return to the Octagon at UFC 300 in April.

Do you agree with Israel Adesanya’s prediction for the UFC 297 main event?

Sean Strickland Has a Crazy Theory for Why Israel Adesanya Came Up Short in Their UFC 293 Title Tilt

Sean Strickland has a crazy theory as to why Israel Adesanya failed to retain his middleweight world title when…

Sean Strickland has a crazy theory as to why Israel Adesanya failed to retain his middleweight world title when the two men met inside the Octagon last year.

In the days leading up to their UFC 293 headliner in Australia, Strickland accused Adesanya of having an inappropriate relationship with his beloved dog who had since passed away. ‘The Last Stylebender’ was content to let the comments simply roll off his back during interviews and press events, but immediately following their 25-minute scrap, Adesanya’s first words to Strickland addressed the vile comments he made about a pet that the two-time titleholder loved like family.

Strickland won the bout via a decisive unanimous decision, claiming the 185-pound crown which shocked fighters and fans alike. Now on the cusp of his first middleweight title defense this Saturday night (January 20), Strickland is suggesting that the allegations of bestiality he levied against Adesanya are what ultimately made the former champ crack under pressure.

“At some point, we all lose,” Strickland said in an interview clip shared by Bloody Elbow. “And you could be like Izzy, lying in a bathtub of flower petals. You could have an entourage and people following you around, but at some point, someone is going to make fun of you for having sex with your dog and then you’re going to f*cking crumble as a human being. That’s just not me because I’m level.”

Sean Strickland has a crazy theory for why Israel Adesanya lost to him pic.twitter.com/OMZLkqgugK

— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) January 16, 2024

Sean Strickland Gets a Taste of His Own Medicine

The tables were seemingly turned on Strickland last month when his UFC 297 challenger, Dricus Du Plessis, struck a nerve by making light of the champ’s traumatic childhood. Their heated verbal confrontation at the UFC Seasonal Press Conference boiled over 24 hours later when the two were seated near one another at the promotion’s final pay-per-view of 2023.

Strickland lept over a row of seats and physically attacked Du Plessis. Strickland even admitted to biting the South African contender during the fracas.

Fortunately, things were quelled quickly by security staff and UFC CEO Dana White. ‘Stillknocks’ recently revealed that he was given the option to press charges against Strickland, but Du Plessis opted not to, noting that it would likely spell the end of their title tilt scheduled for this weekend in Toronto.