Israel Adesanya has offered public praise for Dricus du Plessis after the South African’s dominant decision victory over Kamaru Usman in the main event of UFC Oklahoma City this past Saturday.
Adesanya, who once shared a heated rivalry with du Plessis over an argument about being truly African, was impressed by what he saw in the Octagon. “It’s the best I’ve seen Dricus look,” Adesanya said while breaking down the performance.
“He looked less out of position when he finished punching, when he initiated punching. Sometimes he still did his thing, but he looked really good. Some of the shots he was throwing, the selection, and the timing of the knee for that single-leg, that was a good chess move from their team,” Adesanya added. He also admitted, “I wanted Kamaru to get it done, but again, it just shows how good Dricus is. And good on him.”
Adesanya, Kamaru Usman, Francis Ngannou, and du Plessis have since reconciled their differences, and Adesanya now sees African fighters headlining UFC events as a positive for the sport’s growth on the continent. “It’s good for us anyway,” he said. “… Just for African MMA. Because off this — every time one of these happens, look, another two African fighters fight in the main event, the whole continent is going to watch. Even though it’s just a Fight Night, they’re still gonna watch and support. I think this is just going to expand the talent pool in African MMA more. And I look forward to it.”
