UFC 305 promises to be an epic event, featuring the battle between middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis and returning former two-time middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. The event will take place on August 17 at RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia.
The two opponents had their official face-off at a pre-fight conference, and things got a bit heated. The two got up close and personal and said some things to each other.
“I think he said, Don’t kiss me,’” Du Plessis told Submission Radio. “ As far as I know. He said, ‘Don’t go kissing me now.’ I said, ‘I’m no dog, so I won’t.’ I don’t know what he was saying. I wasn’t really focused on what he was saying. I didn’t say anything. You know, I’m not here to say anything to him. The date is set. There’s no need to be saying anything.”
On the other hand, Adesanya believes Plessis has been discrediting him as an African champion by tagging himself[Plessis] as the real African champion. ‘Stillknocks’ has given himself the title of ‘real’ African UFC champion because he was born and raised in South Africa and has been fighting out of South Africa.
“We’ve had a history over the years,” Adesanya said during the press conference. “It’s almost like destiny because we met in Thailand, Tiger Muay Thai back in the day. Had a little play around, and funny enough, here we are again. It’s like a full circle back where it all started for me. Again, he tried to discredit the three kings and say that he’s the real true African champion.
“I was just, like, it’s a weird mindset, bro. Like he came in the UFC, I knew who he was a little bit, but I didn’t go, ‘Oh, who the f*ck is this fake dude coming in? ‘ I just said, ‘Cool, he’s another African in the UFC.’ But then him discrediting me, Francis Ngannou, and Kamaru Usman, that ticked me off a little bit. So that’s what started this. But again, I’ll finish it.”
Dricus Du Plessis was unphased by these accusations and remained calm and controlled when he responded.
“For me, there’s no tension from me. I get into the octagon, and I do my job. I do my business. You can be the biggest a*whole in the world, you can be the nicest guy in the world, I’m going out there to kill you— and I hope you’re doing the same to me because otherwise, it’s not going to be a good night for you.”
Speaking on the discrediting accusations, Plessis responded.
“As far as discrediting, I’ve never discredited anybody. I’m 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 won this belt from South Africa. I didn’t travel anywhere else. “That’s the only thing that I stated. So, never discredited anybody, and quite frankly, I don’t really care about how it rubbed him the wrong way. I don’t care.”
Adesanya shot back, “I don’t really give a f*ck where he’s from, but I’ll show him who he is.”
Plessis had the last say with a final statement: “Whatever that means, I’m glad you took up golf because that’s your retirement sport. I can understand you start playing golf.”
