A timeline in the feud between Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya

As a fellow African warrior, I find myself intrigued by the fiery exchanges between our brothers Adesanya and du Plessis. Their words may sting like the thorns of my homeland, but their passion for the Octagon, their pride in our continent, it resonates deeply within me.

At UFC 305 on August 18, Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya will square off in their long-awaited matchup. This highly anticipated event will take place at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, with the five-round middleweight title fight serving as the main event. In a historic first for the UFC, these two African-born fighters will compete for the gold. The tension between them has been palpable leading up to the bout, and there have been several noteworthy incidents that have led to this significant moment.

Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya timeline

On March 1, 2023, during the UFC 285 media day, du Plessis was among the athletes being interviewed. He was queried about various subjects, including the trio known as the “Three African Kings”, consisting of Adesanya, Kamaru Usman, and Francis Ngannou. Du Plessis declared his intention to bring the title back to Africa by stating, “I am the UFC fighter from Africa.” He further elaborated by expressing that he and Cameron Saaiman are deeply connected to Africa, as they breathe its air, wake up there every day, and train there. He continued, “We were born in Africa, raised in Africa, and we still reside and train in Africa. That makes us an African champion, and that is who I will be.”

On April 8, 2023, Adesanya knocked out Alex Pereira in the second round at UFC 287 to regain the middleweight title. At the post-fight press conference, Adesanya responded to du Plessis’ remarks from a month earlier without directly mentioning his name. However, it was clear who he was referring to. Adesanya stated boldly, “I am eager to give him a beating. I want to do it in South Africa or Nigeria, but first, he needs to prove himself. He needs to show me something so I can deliver the beating and make history. I’ll remind him because he should be careful with his words when speaking about those who came before him, those who laid the foundation for him. He must choose his words carefully.”

On April 9, 2023: Du Plessis swiftly responded on social media to Adesanya’s remarks. On Instagram, du Plessis penned a caption saying, “It’s smart of you not to mention my name, but I have an entire continent backing me – Africa. Enjoy your impressive win at home in New Zealand.”

On April 12, 2023, Du Plessis made a bold declaration during his interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. He challenged, “The establishment of UFC Africa isn’t complete yet; at least another year remains. Let’s meet on neutral ground this year. If, after facing me and claiming my belt, you’re still determined and I emerge victorious, I’ll offer you a rematch on African soil, my homeland. We Africans are fearless and nobody can intimidate us.”

On April 26, 2023, Adesanya posted a video on his FreestyleBender YouTube channel. In the video, Adesanya spoke about du Plessis, saying, “I’m going to teach him a lesson in the octagon and make history. What he’s doing is causing division.” He went on to express his thoughts by stating, “You can’t understand your own history – I have never questioned his African heritage because, yes, you were born in Africa, South Africa, so of course you’re an African. I’ve never questioned that. But who are you to tell me who I am, who Kamaru is, who Ngannou is? It’s like, ‘Are you ignorant?’ As a product of colonization, you’re trying to tell me who I am. You may have left Africa, but the African in you remains.” Adesanya concluded by stating, “I never belittled him as an African. OK, you are. Fine. If you want to fight, fine. But the fact that, as a white person, you’re telling me who I am, that angered me. And that’s why he’s my next fight, because I don’t want to fight anyone else. This one makes me angry.”

On July 8, 2023, Du Plessis battled Robert Whittaker at UFC 290 in a title eliminator fight. As the current middleweight champion, Adesanya watched the match from the Octagon, hoping for du Plessis to win so they could face each other later. Du Plessis managed to secure a second-round technical knockout victory over Whittaker with a series of punches. After his interview with Joe Rogan in the Octagon, Adesanya joined him. Initially addressing du Plessis as his “African brother,” Adesanya then used a racial slur and other offensive language towards him. The two men came very close before du Plessis told Adesanya, “I’m African, but I am no brother of yours, son.” Adesanya ended the intense encounter by telling du Plessis, “I will show you where you are from.”

On September 10, 2023: Adesanya retained his middleweight title against Sean Strickland at UFC 293. Unfortunately, du Plessis couldn’t compete due to injuries not allowing him the necessary recovery time. In a shocking twist, Strickland controlled the fight throughout and secured victory via unanimous decision. The judges’ scores were all 49-46, indicating a clear win for Strickland.

On January 20, 2024, Du Plessis contested for the middleweight title belonging to Strickland. Following five intense rounds, Du Plessis emerged victorious via a split decision. In his interview immediately following the fight inside the Octagon, Du Plessis issued a challenge to Adesanya, expressing his desire for Adesanya to be his first contender. This time, however, roles were reversed, with Du Plessis being crowned champion and Adesanya taking on the challenger’s role.

2024-01-21: Adesanya posted a video on his YouTube channel, expressing his reaction to the Strickland vs. du Plessis fight. In this video, Adesanya is heard saying, “Now you are the fourth African champion in UFC history, so congratulations to you, my fellow African brother Dricus du Plessis.” He further stated, “I genuinely feel happy for him, I appreciate his story. However, he performed an action that I will still challenge.”

On June 18, 2024, it’s officially set: the match-up between du Plessis and Adesanya will occur at UFC 305 in Australia, ending many months of anticipation and guesswork.

2024-08-17 02:13