Adesanya and Du Plessis Clash at UFC 305 Presser
Israel Adesanya and Dricus du Plessis traded sharp words at the UFC 305 pre-fight press conference in Perth on Aug. 16, 2024. Their argument centered on identity, upbringing and what it means to represent Africa; Adesanya became visibly emotional after du Plessis referred to domestic servants from a story about Adesanya’s childhood.
The dispute over African identity
The rivalry had been building for months. Du Plessis had described himself as the first UFC champion to live and train in Africa while holding the belt. Adesanya, born in Nigeria and raised partly in New Zealand, objected to the way the claim appeared to exclude earlier African-born champions, including himself, Kamaru Usman and Francis Ngannou.
At the Perth press conference, Adesanya said he would take the championship belt around Africa if he won. Du Plessis responded by asking whether Adesanya would bring “the servants” with him, referring to an earlier account of Adesanya’s privileged childhood in Nigeria. The remark landed on a personal subject. Adesanya answered that du Plessis did not know his family’s story and described his father’s early-morning cleaning work and his mother’s nursing studies.
Adesanya explained why he was upset
Adesanya’s voice broke as he spoke about his family and the people he loved. He said that being emotional did not make him less of a man or less capable of fighting. The moment was widely reported as a rare glimpse of the former champion speaking openly about family history during a tense fight-week exchange.
Contemporary coverage focused on the exchange over African identity and du Plessis’ reference to domestic servants from Adesanya’s childhood.
The fight followed the next day
The press conference took place on Friday, Aug. 16, in Perth. UFC 305’s main event followed on Sunday, Aug. 18, in Perth (Saturday, Aug. 17, in the United States). Du Plessis retained the middleweight title by submitting Adesanya with a rear-naked choke at 3:38 of the fourth round. The heated exchange became part of the build-up to the bout, but the result was decided in the Octagon.
Sources
- BBC Sport: report on the emotional UFC 305 press conference
- MMA Fighting: Adesanya and du Plessis’ exchange
- UFC: official UFC 305 result
