Israel Adesanya calls on UFC for special arrangement before Dricus du Plessis title fight
Israel Adesanya has asked the UFC for a special arrangement before his title fight against reigning champion Dricus du Plessis. Adesanya is set to challenge du Plessis for the middleweight title at UFC 305. The pay-per-view event will take place on Aug. 17 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.
Adesanya hasn't competed in the UFC since losing his title to Sean Strickland in a shocking fashion at UFC 293. Following that, the two-time champion declared he would be taking a medical leave of absence to address several nagging issues.
Now that he is fully recovered, Adesanya will have the opportunity to become the first three-time middleweight champion in the promotion when he faces du Plessis in a grudge match next month.
Adesanya recently took to X and urged the UFC to have doctors check on the fighters after each fight. Additionally, he asked for ice baths to be provided for UFC 305 and all future events, writing:
''After a fight we go out back to have doctors check on us, UFC staff make sure we get from B to C to D. For #UFC305 and every card moving forward can we have ice baths out back? Would be appreciated by all fighters, trust!''
Given the intense rivalry between Adesanya and du Plessis, it is hardly surprising that 'The Last Stylebender' was scheduled to face the South African in his eagerly awaited comeback. The latter's statements about Adesanya's African origin and 'The Three Kings' have led to verbal jabs on social media and in interviews.
In an interview with TODAY, Adesanya discussed his intentions for du Plessis, saying:
"Just beat him up, that's the main plan... Look, you have to honor those who came before you.''
Check out Israel Adesanya's comments below (2:40):
Alexander Volkanovski is expecting a masterclass from Israel Adesanya at UFC 305
Israel Adesanya is gearing up for his return at UFC 305, and his teammate and former featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski, recently shared a strong prediction for Adesanya's comeback in an interview with talkSPORT MMA.
Volkanovski believes that Adesanya will put on an amazing display in his fight against Dricus du Plessis, saying:
''I even chatted to [Adesanya] before he started camp, and he was already fired up and on. We're gonna see him coming back, I think he's gonna look incredible. Dricus is a tough guy, great fighter. But I think this Israel that's gonna turn up is gonna be one of those, you know when he comes back and you see a Paul Costa performace, or even the first Robert Whittaker performance. I'm expecting him to come out and have one of those moments."
Check out Alexander Volkanovski's comments below (6:24):