Israel Adesanya launched into a racist tirade at his next title challenger Dricus du Plessis after the South African’s stunning knockout of Robert Whittaker at UFC 290.
Du Plessis stopped Whittaker with a barrage of punches within two rounds in a shock conclusion to the Las Vegas middleweight bout.
The cameras immediately cut to Adesanya in the audience, who looked back into the lens, before entering the cage to face Du Plessis in a racially charged conversation.
The Stylebender and his entourage stood ominously behind Du Plessis as the South African watched the fight and talked about all the cardio he’d been doing.
When interviewer Joe Rogan then introduced the “great Israel Adesanya,” Du Plessis replied, “I don’t know about great.”
Israel Adesanya confronted Dricus Du Plessis in the Octagon and launched into a furious tirade about African heritage after South African defeated Robert Whittaker at UFC 290
The pair will face off in a middleweight showdown and no love is lost between them
Adesanya then reopened the pair’s longstanding feud over their African heritage, saying, “Calm down, this is my African brother here.”
He then launched into a tirade with the N-word, apparently to mock Du Plessis for his earlier remarks that he was the one and only African of the two, as they stood only inches apart.
Adesanya said, ‘Let’s go n****r, what’s b***h?
‘Let’s go n****r. Yes n****r. What’s going on n****r. What the hell are you gonna do n****r?’
Du Plessis hit back: “Get this s**t out!”
Adesanya was not deterred and said, ‘Yes my African brother, yes my African brother. What’s n****r, yes n****r’.
“I’m African, but I’m not your brother,” said Du Plessis. “What do you say to everyone in New Zealand?”
Born in Lagos but settling in New Zealand when he was 10, the Nigerian-New Zealand fighter replied, “I don’t need a DNA test, I know where I’m from.”
When asked his thoughts on the fight, Du Plessis began to answer before being interrupted by Adesanya, who said, “Absolutely, it’s an easy fight, it’s easy money.”
“I manifested this, I said I would have this moment and I know I will have this moment.”
Adesanya was in the audience in Las Vegas to discuss his next middleweight challenge
Du Plessis knocked out Whittaker with a flurry of punches in the second round in Las Vegas
Whittaker had ambitions to win the game, but was stunned by the South African on Saturday
Adesanya dared Du Plessis to look him straight in the eye and yelled “feel me” before the couple finally broke up.
Adesanya will face du Plessis for the world title in Sydney on September 10 at UFC 293.
Du Plessis, 29, who hails from Pretoria in South Africa, has repeatedly questioned Adesanya’s African heritage, as well as former champions Francis Ngannou and Kamaru Usman, who also trained outside the continent.
“Did those belts ever go to Africa?” Du Plessis said in March.
“As far as I know, they came to America and New Zealand. I’m going to take a belt to Africa. I am the African fighter in the UFC.
Du Plessis proved too strong for Whittaker and now gets a shot at champion Adesanya
Du Plessis celebrates his victory on Saturday night after a second-round knockout of Whittaker
‘Myself and Cameron [Saaiman], we breathe African air. We wake up every day in Africa, we train in Africa, we were born in Africa, we grew up in Africa, we still live in Africa, we train outside Africa – that’s an African champion, and that’s who I’ll be . ‘
Du Plessis stunned Whittaker with a straight right in the second round, leaving his opponent dazed, before following him up with a flurry of punches to stop the match.
“When I dropped it, I wanted to hurry but remained calm. As I turned left handed he really got hit with the jab, he hit hard and fast and sharing a cage with a legend means so much,” said Du Plessis.
“Robert is a gentleman and I just beat a man in the pound-for-pound ranking.”