Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya burst into tears on Friday, August 16, after current champion Dricus Du Plessis accused fighters with African descent of neglecting their roots.
The South African claimed that he is the true “African fighter” in the UFC, asserting that the belts won by Francis Ngannou, Kamaru Usman, and Adesanya were not legitimate victories for the continent.
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As reported by SPORTbible, Du Plessis made this comment during the press conference ahead of their title fight at UFC 305 in Perth, scheduled for Sunday, August 18, 2024 at 3am WAT.
He asked, “Did those belts ever go to Africa? As far as I know, they went to America and New Zealand. I’m going to take the belt to Africa. I’m the African fighter in the UFC.”
Despite causing controversy with his comments, Du Plessis added that it was not his intention to discredit the respective heritages of his fellow fighters.
“If I could go back in time, I would say exactly the same thing because I stated the facts. I 100 percent stated the fact that I am the African fighter who resides in Africa,” Du Plessis said.
“And I want to be the first champion who was African-born, African-raised, African-trained, and still resides in Africa.
“Taking that back would make no sense because that’s a fact.”
He added, “I’m not taking anything away from their heritage or saying they’re not African. Not at all. But they don’t reside in Africa, and that’s a fact.
“They didn’t train in Africa, they didn’t gain their fighting expertise in Africa. That’s where I get mine. My coaches, my team—everybody is African. So, yeah, I will not take it back.
“And I will always stand by it because it will always be the fact.”
By Dotun Omisakin
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Du Plessis’ comment about African fighters struck an emotional chord with Israel Adesanya, highlighting the deep personal connection many athletes feel to their heritage and the weight such statements can carry.