Beef with Israel Adesanya "was not fake" but is irrelevant in comparison to his legacy, says Dricus du Plessis

Dricus du Plessis was able to retain the middleweight title and picked up his first defense as he defeated Israel Adesanya via fourth-round submission at UFC 305. While the two were feuding leading up to the bout, 'Stillknocks' showed Adesanya plenty of respect in the immediate aftermath.

The middleweight champion revealed that the beef between the two was not fabricated. Speaking at his post-fight press conference, du Plessis stated:

"I say this all the time - myself and Israel, the beef was not fake. The fact that we don't like each other on a personal level was not fake - at least not from my side. It's just irrelevant in that octagon. What does it matter? I'm not talking about that I hate Israel Adesanya. I'm just saying that if we were in a social setting, I would probably not be sitting at his table."

He continued:

"The respect that I have for him in this sport and what he's done, it can't be denied because if you don't, you're an idiot. If you can't see what Israel has done in the sport and appreciate that as a warrior, a fellow warrior, you're an idiot. The man has done great things in the sport."

Check out Dricus du Plessis' comments on the feud with Israel Adesanya below:

While there appeared to be plenty of animosity between the two going into the bout, they were able to bury the hatchet after the fight. The pair shared a moment in the octagon before speaking backstage, where du Plessis gifted Adesanya a custom jacket.

Israel Adesanya returns respect to Dricus du Plessis

Dricus du Plessis made it clear that he has plenty of respect for Israel Adesanya after sharing the octagon with the two-time middleweight champion. 'The Last Stylebender' took to X on Sunday to return the respect, congratulating his opponent for the victory, stating:

"😊 I’m happy I got to fight again, appreciate all the energy from yous. Congrats @dricusduplessis , thank you for your honest words and speaking your truth. No matter what, Africa won tonight! DDP, you have the torch…light the fire and inspire!"

Check out the tweet from Israel Adesanya below:

While the two middleweights appear to have ended their feud, a rematch is not off the table as Adesanya is likely one win away from a title shot. Meanwhile, Morne Visser, who coaches du Plessis, shared that their camp would like to face 'The Last Stylebender' if the UFC holds its first event in Africa.