What Happened Between Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya? How Did Their Beef Start? All About the UFC Star’s Feud

The middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship witnessed the rise of a rivalry, right after another ended. And both of the rivalries involve Israel Adesanya. Right after Adesanya resolved his friction with Alex Pereira at UFC 287, a new one rose at UFC 290, after Dricus Du Plessis called the former middleweight champion out and ignited the ‘real African’ debate.

But what exactly is the ‘real African’ debate and how did it all begin? Let’s find out!

How it all started: Dricus Du Plessis comments on Israel Adesanya’s African heritage

Dricus Du Plessis dominated former champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 290, punching his ticket to a title fight. However, the post-fight events took a nasty turn. ‘Stillknocks’ and the reigning UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya had been engaged in a fiery exchange about their African heritage. ‘The Last Stylebender’ wasted no time stepping into the cage to engage in a face-off with Du Plessis. Seizing the microphone, Adesanya unleashed a barrage of sharp retorts in response to Du Plessis’ claims of being the ‘real African’.

He boldly declared Du Plessis as his African brother while taunting him with the N-word, intensifying the verbal battle between the two. Du Plessis firmly rejected the notion of brotherhood, prompting Adesanya to challenge him to a DNA test to settle their origins. 

But Adesanya responded, “I don’t need a DNA test. I don’t need a 26 and me to know where I’m from. If I do a 26 and me they’ll say I’m from Nigeria. Do a 26 and me DNA test. It’ll tell you where you’re from. I will show you where you’re from.” The heated exchange culminated in Du Plessis walking away while Adesanya continued to taunt him on the microphone.

The intense face-off between Du Plessis and Adesanya escalated their rivalry, as Adesanya aims to defend his middleweight championship against the South African. This confrontation primed the stage for an upcoming title fight between Adesanya and Du Plessis, expected to headline at UFC 305. The lead-up to the fight promises to be fierce and potentially contentious owing to the added narrative this fight holds now.

The controversial face-off between Adesanya and Du Plessis

As the date for UFC 305 etched closer, ‘Stillknocks’ and ‘The Last Stylebender’ had no choice but to face off against each other. And that happened during the press conference for the event. Needless to say, the duo engaged in a pretty intense and prolonged face-off, which engulfed the fighting community in quite a bit of tension.

However, it was the brief exchange of words that had the world of mixed martial arts in chaos. When Du Plessis was interviewed by ‘Submission Radio’, he revealed, “I think he said don’t kiss. As far as I know, he said, ‘Don’t go kissing me now.’ And I said, ‘I’m no dog, so I won’t.”

Have you ever wondered, if the heat between ‘Stillknocks’ and Adesanya began at UFC 290, why didn’t the fight happen earlier? What pushed the fight to be scheduled a year hence?

Adesanya vs Du Plessis finally booked after almost a year

The rivalry began in 2023 and although Adesanya and Du Plessis were initially slated to fight back in 2023 for UFC 293, things didn’t turn out the way it was planned. Du Plessis had to pull out of the fight due to a foot injury. In his stead, Sean Strickland jumped in and defeated Adesanya to become the MW champion. But soon, Du Plessis took control of the MW division by defeating ‘Tarzan’.

Now, the two are finally booked and this time, it will be serious business. Well, that’s what Adesanya believes. At the UFC 305 press conference, he said, “He tried to discredit the three kings and say that he is the real true African Champion. But then him discrediting me, Francis Ngannou, Kamaru Usman, that took me off a little bit. So, that’s what started this. But again, I’ll finish it.” 

With the tension between the Nigerian and the South African rising, the fight fans are ever so excited for the event. Do you think Adesanya will be able to reclaim his throne and wear the middleweight championship belt? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.