Former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis credited Israel Adesanya for taking a massive risk in his upcoming fight at UFC Seattle.
Former UFC middleweight champions Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya shared one of the most heated feuds in the division’s history ahead of their fight at UFC 305. Two years later, tensions have alleviated between the two sides as they both look to get back into the title mix.
Adesanya will return to the Octagon at UFC Seattle next month against knockout artist Joe Pyfer. It’s a risky bout for Adesanya as he looks to snap a three-fight losing streak.
Meanwhile, Du Plessis is without a booking as he looks to bounce back following a decisive loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 last year. He’s targeting a return to the Octagon by summertime.
Despite Du Plessis and Adesanya’s beef getting extremely personal in the past, things have taken a cordial turn between the two middleweights. Du Plessis’ recent breakdown of Adesanya’s upcoming fight pointed to newfound respect for the former champ.
Dricus du Plessis credits ‘warrior’ Israel Adesanya ahead of Joe Pyfer showdown
In a recent interview with Fight Forecast, Du Plessis put his previous beef with Adesanya aside to give his former rival a classy gesture.
“Just kudos to Adesanya for giving a guy like Pyfer a chance,” Du Plessis said of Adesanya.
“He’s not close in the rankings, but it’s an exciting fight for the fans, and that just shows the quality of warrior he is. He’s putting his reputation on the line to fight an up-and-coming guy he doesn’t need to fight. He goes out there and says, ‘I want exciting fights,’ and this is exactly that.” (h/t MMA Junkie)
Adesanya is looking to earn his first win since knocking out Alex Pereira to reclaim the UFC middleweight title at UFC 287. If Du Plessis and Adesanya are victorious in their upcoming fights, a potential rematch might make sense.