Dana White Risks a Brawl at UFC 300 as Israel Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis Come Face-to-Face After Sean Strickland Slugfest

At UFC 300, Dana White’s seating arrangement for Israel Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis has caused eyebrows to be raised! There have been rumblings about the two men clashing at UFC 305 in Australia as Du Plessis recently teased on his Instagram account, “Looks like someone wants another beating in Australia, I’m in.”  

Adesanya, on the other hand, has been away from competition since his loss to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 in September 2023. But the rumor of a matchup between the two has been building since they both faced off against one another inside the cage after ‘Stillknocks’ beat Robert Whittaker at UFC 290.  And at the historic UFC card, the fans were stunned to see the two rivals seated just a few seats away from one another, raising concerns about a possible repeat of the incident from UFC 296!

Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya cause concern with their seats at UFC 300

At UFC 296, Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland were involved in a heated exchange that led to the pair getting into a brawl in the crowd at the event in Las Vegas! The incident went viral online and led to a massive rise in interest in their eventual clash inside the Octagon at UFC 297 where Du Plessis took the middleweight title away from Sean Strickland.

But at UFC 300, Israel Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis caused a flashback for many as they were spotted just rows away from each other at the event. The video was shared on X by Chisanga Malata who captioned the post, “Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya are just a few seats apart from one another”

It’s interesting to note that UFC CEO Dana White had accepted the responsibility for the UFC 296 brawl as his ‘mistake’. He had stated in the post-fight press conference, “So what kind of an a**hole sits Strickland next to Du Plessis? This a**hole!. That’s true, yeah!”

White’s acknowledgment of responsibility for the UFC 296 brawl adds an intriguing layer to the situation, as fans ponder whether history might repeat itself. Nevertheless, the tense atmosphere surrounding Adesanya and Du Plessis serves as a reminder of the combustible nature of MMA rivalries and the anticipation they generate, leaving fight fans eagerly awaiting any developments in this potentially explosive narrative!

Nevertheless, a former middleweight champion who has a history with both men recently also shared his thoughts on this highly anticipated clash.

‘The Reaper’ reveals the ‘blue print’ Dricus Du Plessis can use against Adesanya

Former UFC middleweight champion, Robert Whittaker is split between who to pick between Israel Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis. ‘The Reaper’ has faced both men in the Octagon before as he lost his middleweight title to Adesanya at UFC 243 and came up short in their subsequent rematch at UFC 271 in 2022. Meanwhile, Du Plessis secured his shot at the belt by finishing Whittaker at UFC 290.

As such, speaking on his MMAArcade Podcast, Whittaker stated, “I can see Adesanya just piecing him up for five rounds. But in saying that, Dricus is tough as nails, and he’s awkward. I can also see Dricus just getting in there and making it awkward…”

He also revealed that Sean Strickland’s upset win over Israel Adesanya could be a blueprint for Du Plessis to use against ‘The Last Stylbender’. According to Whittaker, “I think if Dricus does the same, he might have the same sort of success.”

It remains to be seen if Whittaker’s analysis comes through in the eventual clash between the two heated rivals. Nevertheless, his insight has added more depth to the discussion surrounding the potential strategies that might come into play when Adesanya and Du Plessis eventually step into the cage against one another!

Do you think Israel Adesanya will be able to reclaim his middleweight throne from Dricus Du Plessis? Share your thoughts in the comments below!