Israel Adesanya reflects on a moment from four months ago that now encapsulates his rivalry with Dricus du Plessis.
“There was a South African guy in my taxi who said, ‘You know, when you and Dricus fight, even if you win or he wins, I feel like I win,’” Adesanya recounted.
“And I said ‘exactly’. It was a beautiful moment.”
The tension leading up to UFC 305, which marked the first all-African title bout in UFC history, had been palpable.
Du Plessis, 30, had asserted himself as the UFC’s “first real African champion,” a statement that irked Adesanya, who had previously held titles alongside Nigerian Kamaru Usman and Cameroonian Francis Ngannou.
Du Plessis later clarified his remark, explaining he meant he was the first champion still residing in Africa, while Adesanya, Usman, and Ngannou had relocated. Despite the clarification, the pre-fight atmosphere remained charged.
Following a gripping main event in Perth, Australia, where Du Plessis submitted Adesanya to retain his middleweight title, the fighters resolved their differences.
Adesanya praised the event, saying, “I think Africa won tonight.
He’s going to inspire the next generation of African fighters, just as we inspired him.”
In a gesture of respect, Du Plessis gifted Adesanya a jacket embroidered with the South African flag.
Referencing Nelson Mandela’s belief in sport’s power to unite, Du Plessis said, “Izzy and I won’t be friends personally, but warrior to warrior, you can’t not respect that man.
The jacket was a token of appreciation, a thank you for this memory.”
The UFC has yet to hold an event in Africa, but the organization is keen to do so soon.
UFC executive David Shaw indicated that future events in South Africa could follow the model of UFC 304 in Manchester, which catered to American audiences by holding the event at night.
Shaw said, “Coming to Africa for the first time, we don’t want to wait much longer. We’re targeting a few different countries and aiming for 2025.”
