Nigerian-American UFC star defends Israel Adesanya amid backlash over "privilege" comment about Dricus du Plessis
Israel Adesanya faced notable backlash after he called Dricus du Plessis "privileged" ahead of their UFC 305 clash. A fan recently took to X, stating that Adesanya came from a life of comfort and hence doesn't get to call out others on privilege.
However, Nigerian-American UFC star Sodiq Yusuff believes the fight fan's criticism is unfair.
For context, 'Stillknocks' has often referred to himself as the first "real African UFC champion." As he sees it, while other African fighters including Adesanya, Kamaru Usman, and Francis Ngannou have held UFC gold, none of them lives or trains in the African continent as he does.
Adesanya is however unconvinced with this narrative. During a recent interview with TMZ Sports, the Nigerian-born-Kiwi clapped back at du Plessis saying:
"Dricus is saying I train in Africa, I do this in Africa, and people like [Abdul] Razzak [Alhassan] and myself who are forced to flee our own because of better opportunities, he'll never understand that because he lives behind the f*****g gates of his privileged life in South Africa and he is able to do that there."
Catch Israel Adesanya's comments below:
'The Last Stylebender's' arguments were not received without contention by the fan base. A netizen recently shared a news excerpt on X that claimed Adesanya was born and brought up in a well-to-do family in Nigeria, and even had domestic help.
Yusuff however was quick to dispel the seemingly misdirecting narrative, stating that having a maid in Nigeria doesn't translate to a family being financially sound.
The fighter elaborated on the issue writing:
"An example I can use is if someone from a less developed country told you that they had a beach house and you applied American logic thinking they are rich. Then you find out they are from a random Island and their underdeveloped house is on the beach."
Israel Adesanya vs. Dricus du Plessis: UFC 305 odds
Israel Adesanya and Dricus du Plessis are set to lock horns at UFC 305 on Saturday, Aug. 17 at the RAC Arean in Perth. Let's take a look at how the odds makers see the matchup unfolding.
Per the UFC's official website, 'The Last Stylebender' is a -135 favorite for the match with, du Plessis as a +114 underdog.
This means a successful $100 wager on Adesanya will result in a winning of $174.07, while the same wager in the underdog will bag users $214 if 'Stillknocks' gets his hand raised.