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Undisputed middleweight champion Israel Adesanya went off on Dricus Du Plessis after the latter’s win over Robert Whittaker at UFC 290. The two faced off in the Octagon after the bout where “The Last Stylebender” had some choice words for Du Plessis.
Adesanya’s racially-charged tirade drew mixed reactions. But according to him, he was just keeping it real.
Israel Adesanya says he isn’t fighting Du Plessis
Israel Adesanya was expected to face Du Plessis at UFC 293 in September for the organization’s return to Sydney. But as he revealed in a recent social media post, the fight is no longer happening because allegedly Du Plessis pulled out due to an injury.
“I don’t even know how to start this, but Dricus du P—y. You f—ng bitch. ‘Oh, all he has to do is put on some gloves. I was ready to go again.’ No, you weren’t. You’re a bitch.
That’s why you’re not taking this fight. Your foot’s sore. N—a, my knee was jacked two weeks from my last fight. Guess what I did? I showed up. That’s what a f—ng champion does. Championship caliber, built different.
“A lot of you fighters talk, ‘Oh, I’ll fight anyone, anywhere, anytime.’ No, you won’t. I do. Alex Volkanovski does. We’re built different.”
Strickland gets title shot
Adesanya did name his next challenger.
“I’m fighting in Sydney. I don’t give a f—k who. Dickless du P—y, f—k off. You’re out. Strickland, you’re in. Let’s do the man dance. I’ll show you how to really dance.”
Sean Strickland (27-5) is coming off a second-round TKO win over Abus Magomedov early this month, and he has been calling for his shot against Israel Adesanya.
As for the champ, he last fought at UFC 287 in April when he reclaimed the 185-pound title from Pereira.
Israel Adesanya explains UFC 290 tirade
Adesanya knew of the criticisms thrown at him after the face-off. But for him, it’s all about evoking strong feelings, regardless of its nature.
“You know what’s funny? After my last fight and I grab the [microphone], and people say it’s the best post-fight speech in the history of the company, ever,” Adesanya explained through a YouTube video on his channel (quotes by MMA Fighting).
“And I grab the [microphone] after his fight and people feel like, ‘Oh, it’s cringe, bad look,’ this and that.’
“Either way, I make you feel something. I speak from the heart, I speak from my gut and I really make you feel something. Love me, or hate me, you will feel something. I find that really interesting.”
Israel Adesanya says the incendiary remarks towards Du Plessis was his way of unleashing the “beast” from within.
“I’m not trying, I wasn’t. I just make shit happen. That’s how I feel and I want to make it happen. I want to make him feel me. I was telling him, ‘feel me, feel me,’ because I was making that turn.
“People say I turned heel, no, I just felt myself switch and the beast comes out.”
Israel Adesanya attributes it to manifestation
After he put his rivalry with Alex Pereira to bed at UFC 287, Israel Adesanya immediately had his sights set on Dricus Du Plessis, and he made it personal from the get-go.
He was hoping for the 29-year-old South African to come out victorious, and he says he lost it when it all became a reality.
“I felt myself turn. He worked hard. I manifest for myself, and I make sure I do the work to get that manifestation right. It’s not just sit there and like, ‘Kumbaya, ooh this is going to happen,’ I do the work.
“And, it’s not frustrating, but I feel bad for people. I just do because I’m like, ‘Bro, you don’t even tap into these things and they’re available constantly.’
“So when it happened I was like, f–k yes. I was just urging him on [to go] forward, forward, forward. Even at the prep point, I was giving him energy, like, ‘F–k yeah, positive affirmations, let’s go.’ When it happened, I just lost my shit.”
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