Dricus Du Plessis heaps praise on Israel Adesanya in recent UFC 312 footage, where the pair of middleweights appear to squash their rivalry.
Du Plessis vs. Adesanya at UFC 305 was a heated feud mixed with championship ambition and racial tension. Their spiteful rivalry was spurred on by Du Plessis’ ‘real African champ’ comments from before he was champion, and Adesanya confronted Du Plessis after he knocked out Robert Whittaker at UFC 290.
However, they wouldn’t get to square off in the Octagon immediately, as Adesanya lost to colossal underdog Sean Strickland at UFC 293, and Du Plessis took Strickland’s title at UFC 297. ‘Stillknocks’ submitted Adesanya, and Nassourdine Imavov knocked out Adesanya in his next fight, pushing his losing streak to three.
Despite this, Du Plessis insists Adesanya has nothing to worry about.
‘You don’t have to worry’ … Dricus Du Plessis tells Israel Adesanya he has ‘Anderson Silva status’
In an Instagram story shared by Adesanya on February 10, he is seen face to face with his once bitter rival Du Plessis, who appears to be giving him a pep talk.
“I don’t know if you heard,” Du Plessis asked Adesanya. “But I said in the media, you have Anderson Silva status. You don’t have to worry about anything else…”
The footage cuts off, but Du Plessis refers to fight week comments where he remarked that Adesanya’s legacy is cemented in the UFC.
Dricus Du Plessis knows who Israel Adesanya should fight next
Speaking to collective media after his win at UFC 312, Du Plessis remarked who Sean Strickland should fight next. His No. 1 pick was a rematch with Adesanya. However, fans might disagree, as rematches have log-jammed the middleweight division.
Viable contenders in Caio Borralho and Nassourdine Imavov promise to breathe life into a division that has been stagnant for quite a while. Borralho rides a 16-fight winning streak and could fight Adesanya for a No. 1 contender spot. Imavov could either wait for a middleweight title shot or cement his place by getting revenge in a rematch with Strickland.
Alternatively, Adesanya and Strickland could sit it out, and Borralho and Imavov fight for the No. 1 spot while Khamzat Chimaev fights Du Plessis. Du Plessis believes he’d beat Chimaev at his own game.