Israel Adesanya couldn’t help but praise his former foe after watching UFC Fight Night 281.
Du Plessis (24-3 MMA, 10-1 UFC) pieced up Kamaru Usman (21-5 MMA, 16-4 UFC) in this past Saturday’s middleweight main event at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. Adesanya, who was submitted by Du Plessis in their middleweight title fight at UFC 305, was rooting for his friend, Usman. However, he gave Du Plessis credit for looking like the most refined version of himself to date.
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“It’s the best I’ve seen Dricus look,” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. “He looked less out of position when he finished punching, when he initiated punching. Sometimes he still did his thing, but he looked really good. Some of the shots he was throwing, the selection, and then the timing of the knee for that single-leg (takedown), that was a good chess move from their team.
“I wanted Kamaru to get it done, but again it just shows how good Dricus is. And good on him.”
Du Plessis stirred up controversy in 2024 when he called himself the only true African champion in the UFC since he’s the only one who trains in the continent. While that argument is no longer a boiling point for Adesanya, he believes Du Plessis fighting Usman was a positive for African MMA.
“It’s good for us anyway,” Adesanya said. “Just for African MMA because off this, every time one of these happens, look, another two African fighters fight in the main event, the whole continent is going to watch. Even though it’s just a Fight Night, they’re still going to watch and support. I think this is just going to expand the talent pool in African MMA more, and I look forward to it.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Israel Adesanya: Du Plessis’ win over Kamaru Usman ‘best I’ve seen Dricus look’
