UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis was unfazed by Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker’s critique toward the way he fights.
Adesanya and Whittaker couldn’t contain their laughter when sharing their experiences fighting Du Plessis (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) and his unorthodox style. Adesanya called Du Plessis “the best sh*t fighter in the world.”
Both men were finished by Du Plessis, and the South African responded to their comments.
“Well, it seems like they still haven’t figured it out,” Du Plessis told Fox Sports Australia. “I don’t think it was derogatory. I think it was – well, even if it was, I guess it’s irrelevant at this stage. But I do think that they’re looking at it and going, ‘How did this happen?’ And I guess that’s a good thing.”
Former foes Adesanya and Whittaker recently linked up at City Kickboxing. Du Plessis was happy to see the ex-UFC champions bury the hatchet.
“Look at me bringing people together,” Du Plessis said. “I don’t think that Adesanya and Whittaker ever had real animosity toward each other. It was just so competitive, and now that that’s over, it’s cool to see how the sport – they both had the same vision.
“They both wanted to be the best in the world, and they fought twice, Adesanya beating Rob twice. Where I’m in my career right now and where they are in their careers, I think it’s two different spaces, and that’s why they are able to now train together because for them, they’re not going to fight each other again. So, it’s amazing to see.”
Du Plessis defends his middleweight title against Strickland (29-6 MMA, 16-6 UFC) in a rematch, which headlines the Feb. 8 event at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. The main card streams on ESPN+Â pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 312.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC champ Dricus Du Plessis reacts to Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker mocking him
