"Crafty little minx" - Israel Adesanya gives backhanded compliment to Dricus Du Plessis amid heated 'Africa' controversy

Israel Adesanya has somewhat uncharacteristically turned heel ahead of a title clash against Dricus du Plessis. 'The Last Stylebender' has gone back and forth with du Plessis over the authenticity of their African lineage on multiple occasions.

Adesanya even recently entered the octagon after the South African's TKO win over Robert Whittaker, engaging in one of the most trolled face-offs of all time. However, the UFC middleweight champ still has the heart to give his potential rival credit where it's due.

Adesanya recently complimented du Plessis on his skillset, noting that he was rooting for 'Stillknocks' ahead of the UFC 290 clash against 'Bobby Knuckles'. Adesanya said on his YouTube channel:

"Nothing surprised me. He's a crafty little minx, that one. But yeah, nothing surprised me... Shoutout to Dricus for working really hard to get that win, doing this thing. But, not many was picking him to win. I was picking him to win for a reason."

Adesanya has made it amply clear that he was hoping for Du Plessis to win so he could fight him for his next title defense.

Catch Israel Adesanya's comments below:

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Daniel Cormier believes Israel Adesanya can't afford to lose to Dricus du Plessis

Israel Adesanya has promised to beat Dricus du Plessis 'black' leading up to their title fight. The bout is expected to headline UFC 293 in September in Sydney, Australia.

'The Last Stylebender' doesn't seem even remotely apologetic for his comments and is doubling down on the ugly rivalry against du Plessis. According to Daniel Cormier, Adesanya has pushed himself into a corner with his actions.

The former UFC double champ believes Adesanya's fight against 'Stillknocks' is a must-win for the champ, given his unhinged trash talk in the lead-up. 'DC' said on his YouTube channel:

“Adesanya is not backing down from anything he said. He doesn’t care, he’s like doubling down. He’s posted more, and he’s still calling this guy that. So, I can’t imagine, because I don’t know it, but I can’t imagine how upset he is... If Izzy can win, it’ll feel great for him. But if he loses, boy, could you imagine if he loses to Dricus? That’s the one guy he doesn’t want to lose to. If he loses that, it’s not good. You can’t lose to him! You’re in a situation now where you can’t lose!”

Catch Daniel Cormier's comments below: