Israel Adesanya believes fans witnessed the best version of Dricus du Plessis at UFC Oklahoma City.
Du Plessis delivered a commanding performance against former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in the main event, earning a unanimous decision victory after controlling much of the fight. While Usman showed his trademark toughness and attempted a late comeback, “Stillknocks” maintained control throughout the contest and secured one of the biggest wins of his career.
Following the event, Israel Adesanya shared his thoughts on the fight during a reaction video on his YouTube channel. Despite his history with du Plessis and his close friendship with Usman, Adesanya had nothing but praise for the South African standout.
“It’s the best I’ve seen Dricus look,” Adesanya said.”He looked less out of position when he finished punching, when he initiated punching. Sometimes he still did his thing, but he looked really good. Some of the shots he was throwing, the selection, and the timing of the knee for that single-leg, that was a good chess move from their team.”
Adesanya admitted he was rooting for Usman but couldn’t ignore how impressive du Plessis looked inside the Octagon.
“I wanted Kamaru to get it done, but again, it just shows how good Dricus is. And good on him.”
The performance was particularly noteworthy given the level of opposition. Even at 39 years old, Usman remains one of the most accomplished fighters in UFC history. Du Plessis repeatedly found success with his striking, including a perfectly timed knee that rocked “The Nigerian Nightmare” early in the fight.
For Israel Adesanya, the victory highlighted just how much du Plessis has evolved as a fighter.A few years ago, Adesanya may not have reacted the same way. The former UFC middleweight champion and du Plessis were once involved in one of the sport’s most heated rivalries. Their feud stemmed from disagreements over African identity and representation, adding extra tension to their middleweight title clash in 2024.
However, after du Plessis defeated Adesanya and the two eventually settled their differences, mutual respect replaced animosity. Today, Adesanya views du Plessis’ success through a different lens.
“It’s good for us anyway,” Adesanya said.”Just for African MMA. Because off this — every time one of these happens, look, another two African fighters fight in the main event, the whole continent is going to watch.”
“Even though it’s just a Fight Night, they’re still going to watch and support. I think this is just going to expand the talent pool in African MMA more. And I look forward to it.”
As African MMA continues to grow on the global stage, Israel Adesanya believes high-profile matchups like du Plessis versus Usman will inspire the next generation of fighters across the continent.
Meanwhile, du Plessis has strengthened his case for another shot at UFC gold. Whether the promotion opts for a title opportunity or another top contender remains to be seen, but his performance against Usman left little doubt that he remains one of the most dangerous middleweights in the world.
