UFC 305: Israel Adesanya Plans to Take Dricus Du Plessis’ Head off in Grudge Match

"I have nothing to lose," Adesanya previews upcoming fight with UFC Champ Du Plessis.

Jasmin Frank-USA TODAY Sports

Israel Adesanya has got his priorities straight ahead of UFC 305.

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The former UFC Middleweight Champion gets another go at the world title when he meets rival Dricus Du Plessis in the main event of UFC 305 on Aug. 17 (Aug. 18 locally). Adesanya returns to action after losing his title last September to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 whereas Du Plessis looks to add Adesanya to a resume that includes both Strickland and former champ Robert Whittaker.

Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya have an INTENSE faceoff at the UFC 305 press conference 🔥 #UFC305 pic.twitter.com/ToH9WIeeuI

— JohnnyOxMMA (@JohnnyOxMMA) July 3, 2024

Adesanya On Du Plessis: "I'm Looking To Take His Head Off..."

Should Adesanya reclaim gold in Perth, Australia, he'd become a three-time champion, a feat no other middleweight has pulled off inside the UFC. Though, the 35 year-old isn't focused on making history anymore, but a statement instead.

"You said I'm looking to be the first three-time UFC middleweight champion. I'm not looking to do that. I'm looking to take his head off," Adesanya said on 'The Rock'. "That's all I'm looking to do. I'm going after him, and this is not wolf tickets. I feel different. So, I just wanna go in there, and I have nothing to lose. That keeps me free. I've already been the champion once."

Jasmin Frank-USA TODAY Sports

One of the most active champions of all time, Adesanya has taken a bit of a break following his third loss as a professional to Sean Strickland. In his longest layoff from the Octagon to date, Adesanya has been honing and building upon his world-class skills with an emphasis on strength training in the lead-up to his title fight against Du Plessis.

Finding perhaps a new love for the sport in his time off, Adesanya hasn't warmed up to current champ Du Plessis, who he has exchanged multiple shots with since first facing off with him at UFC 290 last summer.

The Build-Up

The rivalry between Adesanya and South Africa's Du Plessis started to take form following Du Plessis' comments at UFC 285 media day in 2022, where he said he was "the" African fighter in the UFC, training and residing in Africa as opposed to champions like Nigerian-born Adesany and Kamaru Usman along with Cameroon's Francis Ngannou, who all no longer live in Africa.

Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Being rubbed the wrong way, "The Last Stylebender" and Du Plessis have had a nasty war of words that will finally be settled at UFC 305. Despite what has been said, Adesanya maintains it's nothing personal, just business as usual for the champion that came before.

"It's not on a personal level, say in a sense," Adesanya said of his ongoing rivalry with Du Plessis. "Because look, I don't really know the guy from a bar. What he said about myself, Kamaru Usman, and Francis Ngannou, that's blasphemy.

"It's like, bro, he would not be a champion without us. We paved the way for him. We made it possible. The 1-minute mile or whatever, we made it possible for him, and he's only able to do it in in in his home country because of his ancestors and what they did, and he doesn't even acknowledge that."

Dricus Du Plessis won the middleweight title off of Sean Strickland in a closely-contested split decision at UFC 297 in January, a belt he'll try his best to defend against the oncoming Israel Adesanya this August in Perth, Australia.

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