Watch: Dricus du Plessis shares a special moment backstage with Israel Adesanya and parents after UFC 305
Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya had a heartwarming interaction backstage after their UFC 305 fight. The African fighters had developed a bitter rivalry heading into their fight and gave their best to walk home with the UFC middleweight title. Du Plessis emerged victorious with a fourth-round submission to secure the first defense of his title reign.
While both men talked trash to get a mental edge on the opponent before the fight, there was nothing but a sense of camaraderie and warmth when the duo met backstage after the event concluded. The champion gifted Adesanya the jacket he wore for the pre-fight press conference. While handing the jacket with an African-themed print to the Nigerian-Kiwi fighter, du Plessis said:
"It was a gift for me from the Springboks captain and the South African captain."
Adesanya responded:
"I did like it when I saw you wearing it."
After parting ways with a cordial gesture, du Plessis interacted with Adesanya's parents. During the small talk, he said:
"You guys are excellent parents. You've raised a great warrior. Thank you for raising a warrior."
The video was posted by Submission Radio on X:
Check out the heartwarming moments below:
Adesanya is the second African-born UFC champion in history. Meanwhile, du Plessis is the fourth UFC champion from the continent and the first South African fighter to capture the UFC gold. He is also the first UFC champion who lives and trains in Africa.
Adesanya and du Plessis' rivalry was rooted in the South African's comments about being the first "African champion" in history, which did not sit well with 'The Last Stylebender'. However, du Plessis cleared the air about the confusion in the octagon interview while reassuring that he never intended to question Adesanya's African roots:
"I'm really sorry that it came across that I disrespected the fact that he's from Africa. That was never my intention. Tonight, Africa would have won regardless."
Check out Dricus du Plessis' comments below (3:21):