Dricus Du Plessis Brutally Slams Israel Adesanya’s UFC 293 Performance

Dricus Du Plessis wasn’t impressed by Israel Adesanya’s performance against Sean Strickland at all. The South African fighter recently weighed in on the UFC 293 headliner and blasted the former middleweight champion’s performance. 

Du Plessis was all set to challenge Adesanya for the 185-pound title after his incredible second-round victory over Robert Whittaker at UFC 290. The two even hyped their rivalry to a whole new level by sharing an intense, racially charged face-off in the octagon after Du Plessis’ win. However, ‘Stillknocks’ was forced out of his title bid due to a foot injury. 

His withdrawal from the fight gave Sean Strickland a chance to step in, and the rest is history. Strickland’s striking masterclass ultimately won him the title via the judges’ scorecards. With a new middleweight king sitting on the throne, Du Plessis’ title opportunities look bleak. UFC CEO Dana White also hinted that the South African contender may have lost his chance at a title shot. 

However, Dricus Du Plessis remains hopeful. During a chat with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, ‘Stillknocks’ clarified his intention to fight Adesanya soon. Analyzing Israel Adesanya’s last performance, Du Plessis claimed that the Nigerian-born Kiwi didn’t look like himself at UFC 293. Claiming that he’s been studying Adesanya for a long time now, Du Plessis confidently stated:

“That’s the worst Izzy we’ve ever seen in the cage.”

However, Dricus Du Plessis also gave credit where credit was due and praised Sean Strickland for doing his job well. Admitting that he gave the 32-year-old American almost no chance, Strickland properly shocked him with his performance. Furthermore, Dricus Du Plessis added that if that was him in the cage at UFC 293, Israel Adesanya wouldn’t last beyond the first screen. 

Dricus Du Plessis is on an incredible eight-fight win streak and last beat former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 290. His unbeaten UFC run includes wins over Darren Till, Derek Brunson, and Brad Tavares. At this point, only time will tell if he gets an opportunity to fight for the title.