Middleweight contender Dricus Du Plessis has issued his response to Israel Adesanya, who took issue with some recent comments by the South African and refused to even say his name during the UFC 287 post-fight press conference.
Following his knockout win against Alex Pereira at the Pay-Per-View event in Miami this past weekend, Adesanya responded to a statement Du Plessis had previously made about being the “real” African fighter in the UFC. Adesanya, who was born in Nigeria, resides in and fights out of New Zealand.
“Look. F*ck, I don’t want to give this n*gga no clout,” Adesanya said backstage at the Miami-Dade Arena. “I will whoop that— ugh, I wanna whoop his ass so bad. I wanna whoop his ass so bad. I want to do it in South Africa or Nigeria. But he’s gotta do work. He’s gotta do something. Show me something, so I can whoop that ass and I can show you history. I’ll remind you.”
The newly re-crowned UFC middleweight champion added “Because you gotta choose your words wisely when you speak on people that have come before you. People that paved the way for you. You’ve got to pick your words wisely. You want to try and be a big boy? You want the bap-bap? I want you with the big boys. I don’t want to give him no clout, but if he does work — and I pray to God he keeps winning — I will gladly drag his carcass across South Africa.”
On Monday, Du Plessis, a former KSW champ, gave his response on social media.
“So you won’t say my name, that’s smart you better not. I don’t need your airtime at all, I have my whole continent of AFRICA behind me,” he wrote. “Go enjoy your very spectacular victory at home in New Zealand. We are Africa we fear nothing.”
Dricus Du Plessis is currently the highest-ranked fighter (#6) in the UFC’s 185lb division that Adesanya has not already vanquished at least once. With both “The Last Stylebender” and UFC President Dana White having seemingly dismissed a trilogy fight with Pereira for the time being, “Stillknocks” could very well be next in line for gold.
