Morning Report: Dricus Du Plessis recalls ‘manhandling’ Israel Adesanya in past sparring session

Dricus Du Plessis fully intends on being the man to permanently dethrone Israel Adesanya.

The UFC middleweight division has a ready-made feud between the reigning two-time champion and South Africa’s top star. While Du Plessis has locked up a shot in the eyes of the title holder thanks to his words, Du Plessis wants to speak with his actions and make himself undeniable. That process continues with the former champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 290 next weekend in Las Vegas.

A fight between Du Plessis and Adesanya would be their first in a professional MMA setting but it wouldn’t be their first overall encounter. Adesanya revealed on IMPAULSIVE earlier this month that he and Du Plessis once sparred in Thailand with each having degrees of success.

“I’m coming from China. I was doing kickboxing over there,” Adesanya said (h/t MMA News). “I had no MMA, nothing. I was just kickboxing. I had MMA already, but it wasn’t sharp. It was blunt. My Jiu-Jitsu was blunt, very blunt. So, we’re sparring — I don’t know if we did two rounds or one, it’s so long ago as well, this is 2014, so long ago. I remember like on the grappling he had me. But on striking, I just messed him up.”

When hearing Adesanya’s version of the story, Du Plessis confirmed the collision between then-green 185-pounders. However, “Stillknocks” needed to clear up some of the finer — favorable to Adesanya — details.

“Oh yeah, we trained in Thailand together,” Du Plessis told The Schmo (h/t MMA Mania). “I think I was 19 years old at the time. He had quite a record in MMA already, back then. I was 3-0, I think. Yeah, I was 3-0 when we trained together. He said I beat him in the grappling exchanges. He’s 100 percent correct in that. I did manhandle him in grappling and wrestling exchanges, but we did not do a single round of striking together. Not one.

“I mean, that was his way of saving himself, saying, ‘No, but I beat him in the striking.’ We never did striking together, not one round. When we sparred, we grappled and we wrestled. We never did one single round of striking together. Not as far as I know, and that’s something you would remember.”

A Whittaker win for Du Plessis (19-2) would extend his winning streak to eight with six of those coming in the UFC. Thanks to the positions of each fighter, UFC President Dana White has already stated that a title shot awaits the victor. “The Last Stylebender” has been vocal about his desire to fight Du Plessis since the 29-year-old’s pre-UFC 285 comments about being an African champion. Both have further explained their sides with no middle ground found other than a hopeful opportunity to settle things in the octagon.

UFC 293 in September will see the promotion return to Australia where the hope is for Adesanya to defend his title against the UFC 290 winner. Du Plessis, however, is game for getting it all out of the way at once after Adesanya recently shared he hopes to manifest an upset of “The Reaper.”

“Be careful what you wish for,” Du Plessis said. “At the end of the day, I don’t care if he hopes, if he wants it, I’ll win on my terms and it’s imminent like I said. When I fight for the belt, I’m gonna fight Adesanya. He says he’s hoping that I win, that’s good. I don’t need hope. I think the hope is for those that believe winning can happen by accident. I’m not winning by accident or by him hoping. I’m winning because of hard work and because I’m the best fighter.

“He’ll get his shot. He can stand in line. He’s calling me out, I’m not calling him out. So, I’ll be fighting him because that’s what I deserve but he can stand in line just like everybody else and when the time comes, I’ll be fighting him.

“Let’s see if he’s game,” he added. “Let’s see if Adesanya is really there when the time comes. The way I see it, I think after Whittaker just give me about five minutes. With the way I’m feeling right now, just give me about five minutes and water then I’ll fight him on the same night. Let’s do it next week, Saturday.”

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Recap. The Ultimate Fighter 31: Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler Episode 5 results

Ambition. Jake Paul concedes fighters union ‘damn near impossible’ after ‘working nonstop’ with Anderson Silva

Redemption. Charles Oliveira once said he would never fight in Canada again, but felt ‘in my backyard’ at UFC 289

Change. Tatiana Suarez calls Rose Namajunas’ flyweight move ‘crazy,’ bummed they can’t fight

Disbelief. Matt Brown trashes Mark Zuckerberg vs. Elon Musk matchup: ‘These motherf****** ain’t going to fight’

Why. John Gotti III: ‘No bad blood’ with Floyd Mayweather, in talks for rematch later this year

Trouble. Braxton Smith receives 2-year sanction for USADA violation for exogenous testosterone

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TUF Hang: TUF 31 Ep. 5.

Free fight.

Moreno vs. Pantoja 1.

TUF 31 Bonus footage.

2023 PFL BTS Ep. 12.

Strickland ranks 185.

Guram.

CCC on Topuria.

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Heck of a Morning. MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck reacts to Ilia Topuria’s UFC Jacksonville masterpiece, PFL controversy.

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UFC Gym Pittsburgh.

Routine.

Oh, Will.

Funky-Hybrid.

Careful, ‘Aljo.’

Welp.

Time for a Cruz.

Aqua subs.

War.

Dream.

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Edgar Cháirez (10-4) vs. Tatsuro Taira (13-0); UFC 290, July 8

Jafel Filho (14-3) vs. Daniel Barez (16-5); UFC London, July 22

Enrique Barzola (19-7-2) vs. Jaylon Bates (7-0); Bellator 298, Aug. 11

Kai Kamaka (11-5-1) vs. Akhmed Magomedov (10-1-1); Bellator 298, Aug. 11

Imamshafi Aliev (9-0) vs. Anthony Adams (9-4); Bellator 298, Aug. 11

Sullivan Cauley (5-1) vs. Cedric Savage (3-2); Bellator 298, Aug. 11

Bryce Meredith (4-0) vs. Alberto Rodriguez (4-3); Bellator 298, Aug. 11

Alfie Davis (15-4-1) vs. Aalon Cruz (11-4); Bellator 298, Aug. 11

Khalid Murtazaliev (17-3) vs. Mike Shipman (15-4); Bellator 298, Aug. 11

Cub Swanson (28-13) vs. Hakeem Dawodu (13-3-1); UFC Vegas 78, Aug. 12

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Still can’t believe the UFC didn’t just make Adesanya vs. Du Plessis next. A case where they’ll look amazing if he beats Whittaker and completely idiotic if he doesn’t.

Thanks for reading!

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This article first appeared at MMA Fighting – All Posts

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