UFC middleweight champ Dricus du Plessis has slammed Israel Adesanya for attempting to brand him as privileged on the eve of their UFC 305 blockbuster, saying: “That man had servants bathe him until he was eight”.
Speaking with Fox Sports Australia, the breakout South African also labelled Adesanya angry, “jealous” of and even suggested the UFC superstar will never know how it feels to truly unite a nation the way he has his homeland.
Elsewhere, du Plessis also responded to the recent Adesanya sparring claims made by UFC lightweight contender Dan Hooker — who suggested his City Kickboxing teammate is looking “scary” and hitting harder, at 35, than ever before.
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To which the champ says what?
“In my gym,” DDP shrugged, “the lightweights don’t even get near the big guys”.
One of the UFC’s fiercest rivalries is finally set to explode this Sunday when DDP defends his crown against Adesanya inside the RAC Arena, Perth.
For over a year now the two men have been embroiled in a bitter war born, initially, by statements from du Plessis about becoming the first “real” African champion.
That term has infuriated Adesanya, who branded it disrespectful to the likes of himself, Kamaru Usman and Francis Ngannou – three Africans who all became UFC champions after moving abroad.
Speaking recently with TMZ, Adesanya was asked about fellow UFC fighter Abdul Razak Alhassan – who was born in Ghana but now trains out of the US – also taking a crack at du Plessis.
“Dricus is a b**ch for what he’s saying,” Adesanya said of the rival whose undefeated Octagon streak now stretches seven fights, and includes the scalps of Dereck Brunson, Sean Strickland and Australia’s Robert Whittaker.
“People like Razak and myself who were forced to flee our own country because of a better opportunity, [du Plessis] will never understand that because he lives behind the f***ing gates of his privileged life in South Africa”.
To which the champ says what?
“That’s rich coming from somebody who lives in a first-world country,” du Plessis told us on Tuesday afternoon while kicked back at the UFC fighter hotel in Perth.
“A man who had servants bathe him until the age of eight.
“He’s talking about privilege?
“The guy who grew up in a wealthy family, with servants, and now lives in a first-world country.
“Interesting.”
The Du Plessis bath comment refers to a 2020 ESPN feature in which Adesanya discussed his upbringing in Nigeria, and within an upper middle class family that had servants.
A line from the piece reads: Young Israel didn’t learn how to bathe himself until he was 8, he recalls, when he insisted he no longer needed the aid of the family’s domestic servants.
“So, OK, let’s say I was raised in privilege,” du Plessis continued. “So was he.
“But I decided to stay.
“And now you’re sitting in a first-world country saying South Africa is a place with all these amazing facilities?
“I dunno, man.
“He’s trying to win people over by making this a political thing.
“But that’s not what it has ever been about. And he can’t be that stupid, to take things out of context that much.
“I’ve never said I’m more African than him,yet that’s the narrative he is trying to push.
“I just stated that I’m the first residing African champion, which I am.
“And I think he’s angry because I’m right.
“He’s angry because when he was champion, it was great and it was special because he was African born.
“And it was amazing.
“Himself, Kamaru Usman, Francis Ngannou, it was massive for Africa when they all became champions.
“But just like you have a UFC champion, then a double champion, so there are levels to this.
“And now you have an African champion who was born there and still resides there.
“It’s called jealousy …”
Dana holidaying, gambling & matchmaking | 00:50
Jealousy?
“It’s like he was the kid in school with the nicest bike, but now that’s no longer the case,” the champ continued.
“It’s like I one upped him and now he feels that isn’t fair.”
Du Plessis also said Adesanya would never know how it feels to unite a nation like he has South Africa since winning UFC gold.
“And look, he has a lot of support,” DDP started.
“But I know for a fact he doesn’t know what it feels like to go home and feel your country embrace you like South Africa embraces me.
“Or to feel united to your country like I am.
“I know he doesn’t know what that feels like.
“And that’s why, when I get booed walking into a stadium, it has no effect on me.
“Because I know in South Africa they’re going crazy.”
Elsewhere, du Plessis also responded to claims Adesanya is now punching harder than ever before in his career.
Earlier this week, City Kickboxing teammate Hooker told Fox Sports Australia: “Now, he kicks me in the arm and I go ‘f*** that’.
“That little voice in the back of my head starts saying ‘f***, I should’ve studied harder in school, I should’ve got a real job’.
“He’s hitting so hard now it makes you regret your life decisions.”
None of which surprised the champ, however.
“Dan says he won’t spar with him?” du Plessis shrugged. “In my gym, the guy that’s fighting for the UFC middleweight title isn’t sparring against lightweight contenders.
“In my gym, the classes are split.
“The lightweights don’t even get near the big guys.
“So yes, I understand what Dan is trying to say, that Izzy is looking better than ever before.
“And I’m really happy that is the case.
“Because I haven’t put in all this work that I have, haven’t put in all the time, to get a sub par Israel Adesanya.
“I haven’t come all this way to step in there with a rival who isn’t ready.
“I don’t want a watered down Adesanya.
“I want the best one we’ve ever seen.
“Still, while I can understand what they’re trying to say, of course you shouldn’t want to be sparring with him because you’re a lightweight.”
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