Israel Adesanya slams Dricus du Plessis for "weird mindset" ahead of UFC 305 clash, 'Stillknocks' issues response 

Middleweight contender Israel Adesanya will lock horns with current champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 305 on Aug. 17. The fight marks Adesanya's attempt to reclaim the title he lost to Sean Strickland last year.

The animosity between Adesanya and Du Plessis stemmed from comments made by the latter in 2023. 'Stillknocks' argued that fighters like Adesanya, Kamaru Usman, and Francis Ngannou shouldn't be considered "African champions" since they train and live elsewhere. This viewpoint irked Adesanya, who believes Du Plessis is downplaying their achievements.

Adesanya, in the recent UFC 305 presser, criticized Du Plessis' stance. 'The Last Stylebender' said:

“He tried to discredit the three kings and say that he is the real true African Champion, and I was like, ‘It’s a weird mindset, bro, like, he came into the UFC, I knew who he was a little bit. But I didn’t go over the f*** this fake dude coming in.’ I just, so cool, he’s not African in the UFC. 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.”

Du Plessis, however, maintained he wasn't disrespectful, simply "stating facts." He responded by saying:

“And as far as discrediting, never discredited anybody. Stating facts. Where do I reside? What’s my postal code? Where do I train? Where do I live, where was I born? In South Africa. Still there. Still training. And I want this belt from South Africa. I didn’t try anywhere else. That was the only thing I stated. So, never discredited anybody. Quite frankly, I don’t really care about how it rubbed him off the wrong way. I don’t, I don’t care.”

Check out the back-and-forth between Israel Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis below (0:28):

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Dricus du Plessis believes victory over Israel Adesanya propels him into middleweight GOAT conversation

While tensions flare between the middleweight combatants, Dricus du Plessis sees his upcoming fight with Israel Adesanya as a chance to solidify himself among the UFC middleweight division's all-time greats.

Adesanya, a former champion himself, boasts a decorated career within the weight class. Du Plessis, while acknowledging the same, emphasized the fight's significance for his own legacy:

"I'm fighting against arguably one of the greatest middleweights ever, and I have to go out there and prove that I am that guy. That's what this fight is going to mean to me. It's going to mean I told you I belong here. This fight is going to mean that Dricus du Plessis is now in the conversation of being one of the greatest middleweights ever."

Check out Dricus du Plessis' comment on his upcoming fight with Israel Adesanya below: