Israel Adesanya is advised by Dricus Du Plessis not to take a prolonged hiatus.
After losing the middleweight championship to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 in September, Adesanya (24-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) announced that he would be taking a break. Not until 2027, according to “The Last Stylebender,” but it was obvious he was speaking sarcastically.
Nevertheless, Du Plessis (20-2 MMA, 6-0 UFC) cautions Adesanya that it would not be a good idea to take too much time off.
What Went Wrong Between Du Plessis And Israel Adesanya
When it was announced that Israel Adesanya and Dricus Plessis would square off for the UFC middleweight championship, the UFC was energized. The fight was scheduled to take place as the main event of UFC 293 on September 10, 2023, in Sydney, Australia’s Qudos Bank Arena.
Adesanya and Plessis have been preparing for their battle for a while now, exchanging verbal blows in the build-up to the bout. During a confrontation earlier this year, Adesanya repeatedly used the N-word, seemingly to make fun of Plessis for asserting that he was the genuine African of the two. This was the tipping point in the tension between the two.
After finishing Robert Whittaker at UFC 290, Du Plessis was preparing for his retaliation bout against Adesanya, but he was unable to recover quickly because of an injury. Instead, Strickland faced Adesanya and angered him spectacularly by dethroning him.
For the middleweight championship, Plessis now faces up against champion Strickland (28-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC) in the main event of UFC 297 on January 20 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
Du Plessis during an interview said, “I think he deserves some time away from the sport,” he continued. He said 2027. “If he comes back in 2027, he’s gonna get hurt. He shouldn’t do that, but taking some time off, maybe taking a year off, that would be good for him.” Du Plessis additionally said, “he needs to stay strong right now. He can’t lose it. You can’t lose it outside of the ring.”
Stories On Combat Sports You Must Read:
- UFC 295: How Much Money did Alex Pereira Earned by Defeating Jiri Prochazka?
- UFC 296: Leon Edwards Plans To Face The Winner Of Strickland Vs Du Plessis
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