July 09, (THEWILL) – Dricus Du Plessis emerged victorious in the highly anticipated main event of UFC 290, earning his first shot at the title by defeating fellow contender, Robert Whittaker, before engaging in a confrontation with his next opponent.
The thrilling middleweight title eliminator took place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Du Plessis overcame the former champion heavily relying on his skills and experience and set up a fiery grudge match with current champion, Israel Adesanya, at UFC 293 in Sydney. Following his win, tensions escalated between Du Plessis and Adesanya, with the New Zealander engaging in a face-to-face confrontation and addressing issues of race.
During the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Du Plessis proudly boasted about his impressive cardio, while brimming with post-match confidence. However, the situation took a heated turn when Adesanya entered the cage and confronted Du Plessis. Despite shoving his subsequent adversary in the face, Adesanya made it clear that he and his “African brother” would not engage in a physical altercation during their exchange.
It was during this confrontation that Adesanya used racially charged language, frequently employing the N-word, further intensifying the developing conflict between the two fighters. THEWILL recalls that Racial tones have been a recurring theme throughout Du Plessis’s rise in the rankings. The 29-year-old fighter has courted controversy by criticising former champions, Francis Ngannou from Cameroon and Nigeria’s Kamaru Usman, as well as questioning the African representation of Adesanya.
Du Plessis shares the sentiment that Adesanya, Usman, and Ngannou, all of whom were born in Africa, claim African heritage while training and residing abroad. This issue has added fuel to the fire in the brewing conflict between Adesanya and Du Plessis, setting the stage for a highly anticipated grudge match at UFC 293 in Sydney.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
