Dana White hints at blockbuster South Africa homecoming for Dricus du Plessis if he beats Israel Adesanya at UFC 305
Dana White has given South African MMA fans even more motivation to support Dricus du Plessis' quest to defend the middleweight title against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305. The promotion's CEO confirmed during his media appearance ahead of the bout that should 'Stillknocks' win, his next fight will likely be in the Rainbow Nation.
The 30-year old became the first South African to win a UFC title when he defeated Sean Strickland at UFC 297. His first title defense will headline UFC 305, where he will take on Adesanya in front of a packed Perth crowd in Australia.
The bad blood between the two middleweight fighters is evident, with Du Plessis' past comments about wanting to be the first "real African UFC champion" having angered Adesanya.
Ahead of their highly anticipated clash, White sat down with media members and previewed the UFC 305 main event, saying:
"Everything is on the line, especially because they dislike each other so much. If he can beat Izzy and bring that belt back to South Africa, obviously we'll do an event there. If Izzy can regain the title, it's huge for him and his legacy."
Watch Dana White's interview below (4:25):
Dana White confirms Sean Strickland will face winner of Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya
Sean Strickland suffered a narrow defeat to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297 to lose the middleweight title in his first defense. However he bounced back with a decision victory over Paulo Costa at UFC 302 to get his career-momentum back on track.
'Tarzan', who is known for his willingness to fight anyone, anywhere, has since declared that he will not accept a UFC bout unless it's for the title.
His stance took some fans by surprise, who had not anticipated Strickland's change of tune. However, his stubbornness appears to have paid off as Dana White recently confirmed that the former champion would face the winner of Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya at UFC 305.
White appeared in front of the media ahead of the middleweight title clash, where he said:
"[Strickland] is ranked number one in the world, he deserves the fight if that happens... Strickland deserves it." [8:24-8:46 in Dana White's aforementioned interview]