Dricus Du Plessis Apologises to Israel Adesanya’s Family After UFC 305 Win

Dricus Du Plessis Apologises to Israel Adesanya’s Family After UFC 305 Win

  • Dricus du Plessis defeated Israel Adesanya by submission in their UFC 305 title fight
  • Du Plessis got Adesanya in tears with a comment during their pre-match conference
  • The South African shared moments with the Nigerian's family after the fierce match

Don't miss out! Get your daily dose of sports news straight to your phone. Join YEN's Sports News channel on WhatsApp now!

Dricus du Plessis did not allow victory to get into his head further and was humble enough to backtrack on his statement to the Adesanya’s family before the match.

Du Plessis defeated Adesanya via submission with a little over a minute to go in the fourth round during their highly-anticipated all-African middleweight title fight.

Dricus du Plessis celebrates after beating Israel Adesanya at UFC 305.
Dricus Du Plessis celebrates after defeating Israel Adesanya at UFC 305. Photo by Paul Kane.
Source: Getty Images

The South African engaged in a disrespectful trash talk with the Nigerian during their post-match conference, where he questioned his African heritage.

He claimed he is not a true African because he migrated to New Zealand when he was a kid, adding that he lived a privileged life and should come to the fight with his servants.

Read also

Adesanya explains why he lost to Du Plessis in UFC middleweight title bout

The words got Izzy emotional, and he responded that all he does are for his people, but he never walked his talk in the match and lost the fight.

Du Plessis apologises to Adesanya's family

The two showed sportsmanship after their fight, and as noted by Sportskeeda, Dricus apologised for his comments and praised his opponent for being a warrior.

“For me, [it was an honour] to share this octagon with a legend, not potentially, but a 100 percent Hall of Famer... [Israel Adesanya] has done so much for the sport,” he said.
“I'm really sorry it came across that I disrespected the fact that he was from Africa. That was never my intention. Now tonight, Africa would have won regardless… It was an honor for me to share this cage with a legend like that. I have the utmost respect for him,” he added.

Read also

UFC 305: Mzansi react as Du Plessis defeats Nigerian-born Adesanya in Australia

As seen in a video circulated by MMA Junkie, he and his girlfriend Vasti Spiller met Adesanya’s family and apologised to the parents claiming it was misunderstood.

Du Plessis sends message to Adesanya

YEN.com.gh reported that Du Plessis sent a message to Adesanya on his Instagram page ahead of their highly anticipated middleweight title fight at UFC 305.

The fight is for bragging rights, and if Du Plessis wins, UFC president Dana White promises that an event will be hosted in his home country of South Africa.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Richard Nutakor avatar

Richard Nutakor (Sports Editor) Richard Nutakor is a digital media enthusiast with over 8 years of working experience in media and digital marketing. He's worked with notable media brands in Ghana like Media General, owners of TV3 Ghana, 3FM, Onua FM & Connect FM. He's also worked with Global Media Alliance as a Digital Account Manager. He obtained a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Ghana in 2016 and a Masters in Brands and Communication Management from the University of Professional Studies, Accra. Email: richard.kekeli@sportsbrief.com

Tags: