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Newly minted UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya had some scathing remarks for Dricus Du Plessis at the UFC 287 post-fight presser.
Du Plessis, a South African-born fighter, denigrated Kamaru Usman and Adesanya, claiming that he’ll “take the belt to Africa” and that he’s “the African fighter in the UFC”. Adesanya didn’t take too kindly to the comments, claiming he’d “gladly drag [Du Plessis’] carcass across South Africa,” but, “I pray to God he keeps winning”.
‘Stylebender’ Responds to Du Plessis’ African Champ Claims
Du Plessis appeared in front of MMAJunkie at the UFC 285 media day back in March, remarking about the UFC middleweight title, “Did this belt ever go to Africa? As far as I know, it came to America and New Zealand,” Du Plessis references Usman and Adesanya respectively. “I’m going to take the belt to Africa; I’m the African fighter in the UFC; Myself and [Cameron Saaiman].
“We breathe African air; We wake up in Africa every day,” Du Plessis continued, “We train in Africa; We’re African-born; We’re African-raised; We still reside in Africa; We train out of Africa. That’s an African champion and that’s who I’ll be.”
Adesanya remarked on Du Plessis during the UFC 287 post-fight presser on April 9, “Look… f— I don’t want to give this n— no clout,” Adesanya keeps a serious tone. “I want to whoop his ass — so bad — I want to whoop his ass so bad. I want to do it in South Africa or Nigeria. But he’s got to do work, he’s got to do something, show me something, so I can whoop that ass. And I can show you history.
“I’ll remind you — because you got to choose your words wisely when you speak on people that have come before you; people that have paved the way for you.
“If he does work, I pray to God he keeps winning. I will gladly drag his carcass across South Africa. Walahi.”
Du Plessis replied to Adesanya’s comments on Twitter, “So you won’t say my name, that’s smart you better not. I don’t need your airtime at all, I have my whole continent of AFRICA behind me.”
Du Plessis is currently ranked no.6 in the UFC’s middleweight division, with no fights scheduled in the near future. Du Plessis is likely to receive a title shot, however, as out of the five men currently ranked above him, all have tried and failed against “Stylebender”, and three have been involved in rematches.
‘That Doesn’t Make You African’: Kamaru Usman on Du Plessis
Usman, the second man in Du Plessis’ firing line, also didn’t take his remarks lightly. “I saw it,” Usman told reporters at the UFC 286 media day back in March. “And I guess the thing about me is I try not to be quick to jump on someone and really kill them for those things.
“I understand what he’s trying to say, but I think the one thing he’s failing to realize is just because I go to China, and my parents are in China and I’m raised in China — that doesn’t make me more Chinese than people from China,” Usman states.
“That doesn’t make me more Chinese, and so just because you went over to South Africa and you were raised there, that doesn’t make you African,” Usman shares Adesanya’s sentiment. “I would say to him, try to be a little bit more careful with what you say and how you say it.”
Du Plessis’ fellow South African teammate Cameron Saaiman had his own reply to Usman’s commentary, though Usman has not responded.
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