Israel Adesanya, the current UFC middleweight champion, has expressed his determination to defeat South African middleweight contender Dricus Du Plessis if he successfully defends his title against Robert Whittaker.
The victor of the Adesanya-Whittaker bout will earn the opportunity to face Adesanya for the middleweight championship in Sydney, Australia, in September.
Adesanya recently reclaimed his middleweight crown by delivering a first-round knockout to Alex Pereira at UFC 287 in Miami, United States. During an interview with Ariel Helwani, the Nigerian-born mixed martial artist became emotional as he spoke about his potential opponent, Du Plessis, using the Nigerian language.
Adesanya made it clear that he would prefer to face Du Plessis in his next fight rather than engage in a potential trilogy with Whittaker. He passionately stated, “What the f***k do you need to question the Africanness in me, Francis Ngannou, and Kamaru Usman? I’m going to manifest him winning this fight (against Whittaker) in the first round, and when he does, I’m gonna be right there in the cage so he can turn around next September.”
Asserting his commitment to the fight, Adesanya added, “No bulls**t, no ‘I’m hurt, this and that’… we’re going to fight in Sydney in September. But I really, really, really walahi, Olorun, hope it’s DDP because I’ll show him who the f***k I am.”
Adesanya’s words demonstrate his fierce determination to prove himself against Du Plessis and solidify his status as one of the best middleweight fighters in the UFC. Fans eagerly anticipate the potential showdown between Adesanya and Du Plessis, which could take place in Sydney, Australia, in September, should Du Plessis emerge victorious against Whittaker.
