UFC 305: Dricus du Plessis beats Israel Adesanya by submission after making ex-champ cry with remark about his family
- The victory came in the fourth round of the long-awaited encounter
- du Plessis has defended his world middleweight title
Dricus du Plessis defeated Israel Adesanya in the fourth round at UFC 305 to defend his middleweight title and add a decisive new chapter to their intense rivalry.
The South African executed a rear naked choke to take the win after hitting the ‘Style Bender’ with a right hook before taking him down.
The victory in Perth, Western Australia on Sunday (local time) came after Du Plessis helped cause Adesanya to burst into tears and storm off the stage when asked about his family during Friday’s pre-match press conference.
The long-standing rivalry between Du Plessis and Nigerian-born Adesanya has seen them attack each other for years.
Both fighters have been fighting for the ‘real African’ title for some time now, after Du Plessis claimed to be the continent’s first champion.
The ruling infuriated Adesanya, who now represents New Zealand in the octagonal bout, as did Kamaru Usman, the former UFC welterweight champion.
However, after the battle was decided, the rivals were full of praise for each other.
The Decisive Moment: Du Plessis (left) applies the chokehold he used to defend his middleweight title and gain the upper hand in his bitter rivalry with Israel Adesanya (right)
The South African scored with a right hook to the head and then had no trouble taking Adesanya down and delivering the submission that ended it all
They had criticized each other for years, but the two African-born fighters were full of praise for each other at the end of the match.
Du Plessis said it was an honour to “share the octagon with a legend”, adding: “This man has done so much for this sport and I feel really bad that it came across as a disrespect to him because he’s from Africa.”
“That wasn’t my intention.”
Adesanya said: ‘I always knew he would be tough, so that’s no surprise.
“I’ve never felt better or looked better, but I just fought the best man of the night.”
He then had a message for all the fans and pundits who think he might retire now that he has lost three of his last four matches: “I’m not leaving.”
During Friday’s press conference, tensions rose when Adesanya was asked if he would be visiting Africa anytime soon. The fighter confidently replied that he plans to take his title to Nigeria and South Africa.
Du Plessis asked: ‘Are you taking the servants with you when you go back?’, suggesting the New Zealander grew up wealthy.
Adesanya burst into a rage and asked: What the hell are you talking about?
“You don’t know anything about my story. You have no idea who the f*** I am.”
Du Plessis retained his middleweight title in convincing fashion after getting inside his opponent’s head in the build-up to the bout
Nigerian-born Adesanya burst into tears during Friday’s pre-match press conference (pictured) when Du Plessis made a comment about his background
After this, the audience asked ‘The Last Stylebender’ questions about the tension between the fighters.
As he burst into tears, he pointed to his family and said, “He brought up a subject there, because I’m doing this for the family.”
“I’m doing this for the people I love, and I will always fight for you, I swear to God.”
The 35-year-old boxer ridiculed his opponent again after admitting he loved his fans.
‘I feel the love from the crowd. First time I fought here [UFC] 221, that was February 2018, that’s when I made my dream come true.
“Sunday, I’m gonna ruin your dreams, b***h, I’m gonna ruin your dreams,” Adesanya said before leaving the stage as the press conference ended.