“He’s going to have to or retire” - Dricus du Plessis' coach reasserts pupil's No. 1 contender status after Israel Adesanya's latest comments
Israel Adesanya has discussed the possibility of Khamzat Chimaev taking Dricus du Plessis' position as the next contender for the UFC middleweight championship. Adesanya was originally set to defend his title against du Plessis at UFC 293 at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia, on September 10, 2023.
However, 'Stillknocks' declined the fight due to an injury. According to Israel Adesanya, Dricus du Plessis' decision to withdraw was attributed to a foot injury. Subsequently, the UFC arranged for Adesanya to defend his championship against Sean Strickland at UFC 293.
In a video posted to his FREESTYLEBENDER YouTube channel, Adesanya stated:
"Definitely. Again, I do want to fight Dricus. But he has to know he's not calling the shots here. That's the thing. I am. So again, a guy who, 'Oh, my foot is this. My foot's that.'"
Check out Adesanya's comments below (from 4:44):
Eugene Bareman, Israel Adesanya's head coach, also criticized the 29-year-old South African for withdrawing from the potential title opportunity.
Dricus du Plessis' head coach, Morne Visser, has now responded to Bareman and Adesanya's comments and reiterated that du Plessis' position as the No.1-ranked 185-pounder will ultimately result in him getting a title opportunity in the near future:
"Eugene our fighters fought on the same card at UFC 276 on July 2nd 2022. Don’t let your FEAR cloud your judgment Eugene. Dricus is the number 1 contender and Izzy is going to have to fight him, afraid or not. Look I understand, I would also be afraid to fight Dricus with Izzy but he’s going to have to or retire. Either or we will be ready to take the belt from who ever has it."
Check out Visser's Instagram post below:
When Dricus du Plessis said Israel Adesanya is acting like a clown and not a champion
Dricus du Plessis achieved a significant victory by defeating former champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 290 last month. Following his win, 'Stillknocks' shared an intense interaction with Israel Adesanya inside the octagon.
During the UFC 290 post-fight press conference, du Plessis stated:
"I'm prepared for everything, everything he says... He's behaving like a clown in there. You know, that's not how a champion behaves. That's not how a man behaves. He's behaving like a child, conduct yourself like a champion. There's people looking up to you and you're behaving like that, nah."
Check out du Plessis' comments below: