With perhaps a few notable exceptions, it is often difficult for fighters to maintain antipathy towards one another after spending time in the Octagon together.
On Saturday night in the moments after Dricus du Plessis submitted Israel Adesanya in the fourth-round of their world title fight that headlined UFC 305 in Perth, Australia, much of the pre-fight braggadocio melted into respect between both combatants. They embraced in the cage, the defeated Adesanya raised his rival’s hand in the air — while Du Plessis also paid tribute to Adesanya on the mic, referring to him as a ‘warrior’ and a surefire Hall of Famer.
The marks of respect continued backstage, with Du Plessis meeting and embracing Adesanya’s family, while DDP was recorded giving a Adesanya a jacket to commemorate their battle.
Speaking to the media afterwards, including The Mac Life, DDP said that throughout all of the pre-fight bluster, he regretted that some of his comments had been misconstrued towards being overly-personal when it came to Adesanya and both fighters’ respective lineages in Africa.
“At the end of the day, what I said was never to challenge Israel or any other African fighter on being the first African fighter [to claim a title],” he said, via MMA Junkie. “It was the first African fighter residing, and that is still the fact. Nothing can change that. I know at the presser when he got super emotional — I never went after his family. I just wanted to make sure — I have parents, too, and I respect anybody’s parents.”
He added: “I just went over to him and said after the fight, ‘If it sounded like I said anything bad about your parents, that was not the case. What I’m saying to you? Harden up. If you want to cry about that, so be it. I will never disrespect your parents.’ He said, ‘No, no, no.’ He understands that. As a warrior to a warrior. Me and Israel Adesanya, we are not friends because on a personal level we do not see eye-to-eye. But, warrior to warrior, after spending that time in the Octagon and what he’s achieved in the sport, it’s no secret I respect that.
The moment the South African Dricus Du Plessis gifted his jacket to the Nigerian Israel Adesanya Izzy after their fight.
I love the great show of respect between these two fighters.
Respect for brotherhood.
We are Africans, no matter the colour of the skin.
Africa Won! 🌍 pic.twitter.com/iEyPA1Sqgi
— Lawrence I. Okoro ( Sir Law ) (@LawrenceOkoroPG) August 18, 2024
“After spending that time in the Octagon, you can’t not respect that man and what he’s done in the sport. To give him that jacket was a reminder, a token of appreciation and a thank you for this. It’s a memory for me. It’s such a massive moment in my life fighting a great fighter like Israel Adesanya.
“I brought the jacket to specifically give it to him before the fight. It was going to be win or lose I was going to give him that because he said he wants to fight warriors from all the lands, and I respect that and I wanted to give him that as a token of appreciation of fighting and giving me that amazing fight and bringing the best out of me, and also as something to remember this magic moment of an all-Africa main event.:
