Will Israel Adesanya be ready by UFC 300 to fight Dricus du Plessis for the title? Exploring the possibilities
Dricus du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya is a matchup that has, once again, captivated the MMA fandom. The South African's recent middleweight title triumph against Sean Strickland at UFC 297 also seems to have restored the promotion's original plan for the 185-pound weight class.
'Stillknocks' and Adesanya were previously scheduled to settle their differences at UFC 293. Unfortunately, a foot injury forced the South African to withdraw from the bout, and he was replaced by Strickland, who went on to author the greatest upset in UFC middleweight history by beating Adesanya in lopsided fashion.
However, with Strickland now beaten, the potential to reinstate the bout with Adesanya is there, especially with UFC 300 in desperate need of an attention-grabbing main event and du Plessis calling out 'The Last Stylebender' in his UFC 297 post-fight interview.
The odds in favor of Israel Adesanya challenging Dricus du Plessis at UFC 300
UFC 300 is without a headline-worthy matchup, especially compared to how stacked the preceding UFC 298 and UFC 299 cards are. Conor McGregor's alleged middleweight bout with Michael Chandler was claimed, by the Irishman himself, to be scheduled for June 29. In short, not UFC 300.
While the UFC refused to confirm McGregor's claim, it is not the first time that someone from the Irishman's camp poured cold water on his octagon return taking place at UFC 300. Besides, if there is a middleweight bout worthy of headlining UFC 300, it must feature Israel Adesanya.
'The Last Stylebender' is the closest to a superstar that the promotion currently has, besides Jon Jones and 'The Notorious' himself. Both Chael Sonnen and Ariel Helwani, notable voices in MMA, expressed their desire to see the Nigerian-New Zealander headline UFC 300 against none other than Dricus du Plessis.
"If it's not gonna be Conor McGregor, who is worthy of this opportunity? And if it's not Islam Makhachev, who is big enough? And if it's not Jon Jones, who can be in that spot? And wouldn't you know it, DPP wins, and now all of a sudden we have one of the most fierce and bitter rivalries in the sport."
Check out Ariel Helwani discussing a Dricus du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya matchup at UFC 300 in the clip below (0:25):
It is a sensible option. Fan intrigue in the matchup would be heightened by the deeply personal rivalry between the pair, which was initially sparked by du Plessis claiming to be a better representative of African MMA than not only Adesanya but Kamaru Usman and Francis Ngannou, culminating in an in-cage confrontation.
Feuds are money-making machines. McGregor's best-selling pay-per-view, for example, is UFC 229, due to his bitter feud with Khabib Nurmagomedov, who was hardly a star prior. Similarly, Jon Jones' best-selling pay-per-view is UFC 214, which was headlined by a rematch between him and hated rival Daniel Cormier.
Adesanya's bout with du Plessis has the potential to be his most successful from a financial standpoint due to how magnetic feuds are to fans. Furthermore, upon capturing middleweight gold at UFC 297, du Plessis was quick to use his post-fight interview to implore Adesanya to return to the UFC for their inevitable showdown.
If the matchup takes place at UFC 300, it could solve the event's issue of lacking a marquee headliner. Not only would it feature Adesanya's return, but it would also feature the most heated feud in the sport that is yet to be resolved in the octagon. The only concern is whether Adesanya will be ready in time for UFC 300.
Both Sonnen and Helwani felt that the one thing holding 'The Last Stylebender' back from a return is his fitness. The former 185-pound champion recently disclosed that he's been nursing an injury. However, he expects to be back to full training by February. For now, he has been relegated to light training.
The odds against Israel Adesanya challenging Dricus du Plessis at UFC 300
While the hope is that Israel Adesanya will be ready by UFC 300 for his seemingly fated encounter with Dricus du Plessis, the bout may not take place at all. First, the nature of Adesanya's current injury remains undisclosed. All that is known is that he's currently in rehabilitation and fit enough to engage in light training.
However, if this, in any way, was the catalyst behind his hiatus from MMA, it could be more serious than expected. While his projection for a return to full-time training in February, he mentioned the end of February, which does not bode well for a fighter who gives so much credence to game-planning and preparation.
When recently asked for a timeline on his return to training, Adesanya said the following:
"Probably the end of next month, maybe."
Check out Israel Adesanya talk about a timeline for his return to full training in the clip below:
UFC 300 is set for April 13. If Adesanya does indeed return to hard training only by the end of February, he will have very little time to prepare for a title fight with du Plessis, as he'll only have the month of March to spar, gameplan, weight cut, etc. Just a month to ready oneself for a title fight is more than suboptimal.
Furthermore, du Plessis' own physical condition following his brutal UFC 297 war with Sean Strickland is key. Both men left the octagon battered. At the post-fight press conference, du Plessis welcomed a UFC 300 showdown with Adesanya but was hesitant to commit to a timeline due to the damage he had sustained.
While it's likely he'll be in perfect health for UFC 300 if the matchup is booked, there are real concerns regarding both men's physical readiness. Additionally, Adesanya may be committed to his sabbatical from the sport, as he previously turned down an opportunity to face Alex Pereira for the light heavyweight title.
Although he has expressed an interest in facing du Plessis upon his return, even describing their clash as destined, he could be aiming to face him later in the year. Lastly, if Conor McGregor is announced as the surprise UFC 300 headliner, as has been speculated, it is highly unlikely that Adesanya will feature on the card.
Adesanya is a headliner in his own right and would never allow himself to be relegated to a co-main event slot, least of all in a title fight. Several factors need to line up for his octagon return to take place at UFC 300, and there's a risk that they might not.