Tag: UFC 293

Despite the ongoing jeopardy surrounding an initially planned middleweight title fight between Israel Adesanya and number one contender, Dricus du Plessis at UFC 293 in September, the undisputed champion remains a distinct betting favorite to defeat the latter in a heated grudge match between the duo.

Adesanya, the current and two-time middleweight champion, has been sidelined since reclaiming the undisputed middleweight crown at UFC 287 back in April in Miami, Florida, landing a second round knockout win over Brazilian rival, Alex Pereira in the pair’s championship rematch.

As for du Plessis, the South African contender turned in the most high-profile victory of his Octagon tenure to date at UFC 290 earlier this month during International Fight Week, defeating former champion and common-foe, Robert Whittaker, stopping the ex-titleholder with a second round TKO win.

And meeting Nigerian-Kiwi striker, Israel Adesanya in the Octagon following his triumphant performance, du Plessis, despite his stunning run through the ranks at 185lbs, has opened and remains a sizeable +200 betting underdog to defeat the -240 betting favorite, champion, Israel Adesanya.

Israel Adesanya remains betting favorite over Dricus du Plessis

A host of casinos – including pay by phone casinos and other markets are currently taking bet and wagers on the possibility of Adesanya fighting du Plessis at UFC 293 in September – and some even up until the end of the year, in what promises to be of the most distinct grudge matches in recent Octagon history.

Seeing his perfect professional run at the middleweight limit come to and end back in November of last year at Madison Square Garden, Adesanya dropped his middleweight crown to the aforentoed, Pereira in a stunning, rallying fifth round TKO loss to the Sao Paulo native.

The defeat came as Adesanya’s second in professional mixed martial arts, with his sole other loss in the sport coming in the form of a 2021 decision loss to former champion, Jan Blachowicz in an unsuccessful light heavyweight title climb. 

As for du Plessis, the Pretoria native landed his stunning sixth consecutive victory since landing in the Octagon back in 2020 on ‘Fight Island’ with his stoppage win earlier this month on the main card of UFC 290. 

Debuting against Markus Perez, renowned finisher, du Plessis, who holds nine knockout wins and a further 10 separate submission triumphs, landed a first round TKO stoppage, before landing a knockout win over Trevin Giles, and a decision win over Brad Tavares.

Submitting former welterweight title challenger, Darren Till last year, du Plessis then stopped Derek Brunson with strikes earlier this year before his knockout of Whittaker this month. 

The status of Adesanya’s earmarked return at UFC 293 on September 9. in Syndey, Australia still firmly remains up in the air, with rumors suggesting recently that a rematch between himself and Jared Cannonier could take place, amid uncertainty regarding the injury-status of du Plessis, and an apparent reluctance to book the City Kickboxing staple against the surging, Sean Strickland. 

During clashes in Australia, Israel Adesanya has landed victories in each of his five walks ‘Down Under’ to boot. 

Can Israel Adesanya successfully defend his title in a UFC 293 return?

Despite the ongoing jeopardy surrounding an initially planned middleweight title fight between Israel Adesanya and number one contender, Dricus du Plessis at UFC 293 in September, the undisputed champion remains a distinct betting favorite to defeat the latter in a heated grudge match between the duo.

Adesanya, the current and two-time middleweight champion, has been sidelined since reclaiming the undisputed middleweight crown at UFC 287 back in April in Miami, Florida, landing a second round knockout win over Brazilian rival, Alex Pereira in the pair’s championship rematch.

As for du Plessis, the South African contender turned in the most high-profile victory of his Octagon tenure to date at UFC 290 earlier this month during International Fight Week, defeating former champion and common-foe, Robert Whittaker, stopping the ex-titleholder with a second round TKO win.

And meeting Nigerian-Kiwi striker, Israel Adesanya in the Octagon following his triumphant performance, du Plessis, despite his stunning run through the ranks at 185lbs, has opened and remains a sizeable +200 betting underdog to defeat the -240 betting favorite, champion, Israel Adesanya.

Israel Adesanya remains betting favorite over Dricus du Plessis

A host of casinos – including pay by phone casinos and other markets are currently taking bet and wagers on the possibility of Adesanya fighting du Plessis at UFC 293 in September – and some even up until the end of the year, in what promises to be of the most distinct grudge matches in recent Octagon history.

Seeing his perfect professional run at the middleweight limit come to and end back in November of last year at Madison Square Garden, Adesanya dropped his middleweight crown to the aforentoed, Pereira in a stunning, rallying fifth round TKO loss to the Sao Paulo native.

The defeat came as Adesanya’s second in professional mixed martial arts, with his sole other loss in the sport coming in the form of a 2021 decision loss to former champion, Jan Blachowicz in an unsuccessful light heavyweight title climb. 

As for du Plessis, the Pretoria native landed his stunning sixth consecutive victory since landing in the Octagon back in 2020 on ‘Fight Island’ with his stoppage win earlier this month on the main card of UFC 290. 

Debuting against Markus Perez, renowned finisher, du Plessis, who holds nine knockout wins and a further 10 separate submission triumphs, landed a first round TKO stoppage, before landing a knockout win over Trevin Giles, and a decision win over Brad Tavares.

Submitting former welterweight title challenger, Darren Till last year, du Plessis then stopped Derek Brunson with strikes earlier this year before his knockout of Whittaker this month. 

The status of Adesanya’s earmarked return at UFC 293 on September 9. in Syndey, Australia still firmly remains up in the air, with rumors suggesting recently that a rematch between himself and Jared Cannonier could take place, amid uncertainty regarding the injury-status of du Plessis, and an apparent reluctance to book the City Kickboxing staple against the surging, Sean Strickland. 

During clashes in Australia, Israel Adesanya has landed victories in each of his five walks ‘Down Under’ to boot. 

Can Israel Adesanya successfully defend his title in a UFC 293 return?

Expected to likely miss out on a planned UFC 293 return against rival, Israel Adesanya in a mooted middleweight title fight, surging South African contender, Dricus du Plessis claims he is not offended by racially-charged language from the former, however, insists there is no part for it in the sport, or in the world.

du Plessis, the newly-minted number one ranked middleweight contender, most recently featured on the main card of UFC 290 earlier this month during International Fight Week – earning a stunning second round win over Robert Whittaker, finishing the ex-champion with a second round TKO win.

And met by current and two-time undisputed middleweight champion, Adesanya in the Octagon following his spectacular victory, du Plessis exchanged with the City Kickboxing staple in the center during a face-off – with Adesanya using the ‘n-word’ on multiple occasions, in talk which has since been highly-criticized. 

However, according to reports earlier this week, Pretoria native, Dricus du Plessis is likely to miss out on a Sydney showdown with Adesanya for middleweight gold at UFC 293 in September, due to an injury he carried into his fight with Whittaker, with the former now expected to potentially draw the outspoken, Sean Strickland in Australia instead.

Dricus du Plessis distances himself from racial tension with Israel Adesanya

Reflecting on his staredown with Adesanya at the T-Mobile Arena, du Plessis, whom Adesanya labelled a “cracker” in prior months, insisted he was not offended by the former’s racially-charged outburst, and distanced himself from any undertones.

“It does not belong in sports,” Dricus du Plessis said of racial slurs uttered by Israel Adesanya during an interview on the Cameron MSP Saimon YouTube channel.,” It does not belong in the world, in my opinion. I do not want that part of anything that I’m doing. This sport is so amazing, and it’s given so many people so much things, and bringing race, color – racial slurs, all that stuff into it, immediately made me like, ‘I don’t want to be a part of it.’ That’s why I just walked away.”

“I don’t want to engage in that,” Dricus du Plessis explained. “That is not the example I wanna set for people. That is not the message to anybody in the world is. I guess, he (Israel Adesanya) can do whatever he wants. Like Dana (White) said, ‘He can say whatever he wants.’ Yeah, he can. I’m not entertaining that. I’m not entertaining any talk about the racial slurs that he’s been using. And it doesn’t bother me. People are like, ‘Does it offend you? ’It doesn’t offend me, it has no effect one me. What it does do is – people that are looking up to me, see that too. The people that I influence see that too. And I don’t want to be any part of that.”