The tension between Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya is palpable as UFC 305 approaches. ‘The Last Stylebender’ will be making his long-awaited return to the Octagon after a self-imposed hiatus. His last appearance inside the cage came against Sean Strickland at UFC 293 where he lost the 185 lbs. title in a major upset. However, with ‘Stillknocks’ later claiming the belt at UFC 297, the stage is now set for a showdown between the two with much more on the line than just the UFC gold.

UFC veteran Michael Bisping has been in his share of intense rivalries with Luke Rockhold and Dan Henderson. As such, in a recent statement, the former middleweight champion has warned that the build-up to the upcoming title fight might stray into Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov territory!

The Israel Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis feud might surpass UFC 229 in one factor!  

The beef between Dricus Du Plessis started with a debate over their African heritage. Du Plessis, born and raised in South Africa, has claimed to be the first true UFC champion from the continent. Adesanya, originally from Nigeria, took offense, arguing that his and other African-born champions like Kamaru Usman and Francis Ngannou’s accomplishments shouldn’t be diminished just because they trained outside Africa.

Michael Bisping, no stranger to trash-talk himself, recently shared, “The buildup between Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya, it’s gonna get nasty. It’s gonna get personal. It’s gonna be on the level of Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov. There were some words said on the microphone.”

UFC 229 where ‘The Eagle’ faced off against ‘The Notorious’ has gone down in history as one of the most intense feuds ever seen in the promotion. In fact, the heat had built up to such a degree that Nurmagomedov leaped out of the Octagon after his win and a massive brawl erupted at the venue.

Speaking further about the UFC 305 rivalry, Bisping stated that, “‘You’re from Africa, you’re not from Africa’, all this type of stuff. Who cares? Let them hate each other.” But the former middleweight champion is also confident that when the fight is over, the two will shake hands and move on. He believes that no matter how personal things get, the Octagon has a way of resolving differences.

With the tension promising to elevate the fight to an entirely different level, Israel Adesanya recently indicated that he isn’t one to let things slide, especially when it comes to matters of pride and identity!

‘The Last Stylebender’ isn’t happy with Du Plessis ignoring the ‘Three Kings’  

As a part of the ‘Three Kings’ era of the UFC, Israel Adesanya isn’t ready to let Dricus Du Plessis get away with his statement about being a ‘real African champion’. In a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Adesanya shared that ‘Stillknocks’ remarks show a lack of understanding of the struggles faced by other African-origin fighters who made it to the top of the UFC like Usman and Ngannou. ‘The Last Stylebender’ shared that, “Even without Francis being champion, without myself being champion, without Kamaru being champion, he would have never been champion. We paved the way for him, and then he comes out there and tries to take it all for himself.”

For Adesanya, this fight isn’t just about defending his title; it’s about setting the record straight. He’s determined to show Du Plessis the error of his ways as he further stated, “…but I will show him the way. … Dricus will always be an African champion, but he’ll never be one of the three kings.”

With a chip on Israel Adesanya’s shoulder and a point to prove, UFC 305 has the potential to be one of the most intense battles between two elite middleweights with a lot more than just the title at stake. It’s rooted in a deeper conversation about legacy and belonging, and that’s what makes it so compelling. Do you think Israel Adesanya will reclaim his throne at UFC 305? Let us know in the comments below!