Exclusive: Dricus Du Plessis gives honest reaction as he reflects on Israel Adesanya's N-word rant at UFC 290

Dricus Du Plessis appears unfazed by the racially charged trash-talking unleashed by Israel Adesanya at UFC 290.

After Du Plessis secured a stoppage victory over Robert Whittaker last July, Adesanya entered the octagon and directed a string of profanities at the South African fighter. Although a physical confrontation was avoided, the use of explicit language exuded an unsettling racial undertone.

Check out the confrontation video below (2:18):

Following that incident, Du Plessis called 'The Last Stylebender' a "clown" and criticized his behavior as inappropriate for a champion, asserting that such actions are not fitting for an adult but rather resemble childish behavior. However, 'Stillknocks' now seems to play down the former middleweight champion's remarks.

During an exclusive interview with Andrew Whitelaw for Sportskeeda MMA, Du Plessis stated:

"We are one of the very few sports that still have freedom of speech—real freedom of speech in terms of... You get a stage, you get a mic, and you say what you're going to say. You have to face the consequences; that's one thing I admire about the company, Dana, and the powers that they give all the fighters—that they give you the right to say whatever you want."

He added:

"How you want to portray yourself in front of the world—that's your prerogative. We are not told to say anything and do anything; do whatever you like, but as long as it's within the law, go right ahead and best of luck to you."

Check out Dricus Du Plessis' comments below (13:16):

The origin of their heated verbal exchange dates back to their past interactions, where Du Plessis questioned Adesanya's authenticity as an African fighter. 'Stillknocks' claimed himself as the only genuine African competitor in the UFC, suggesting that others were merely adopting the African label without actually residing or training on the continent.

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Dricus Du Plessis addresses possibility of fight with Israel Adesanya

Dricus Du Plessis couldn't meet the UFC's requirement for an eight-week turnaround to fight Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 in September 2023 due to an injury.

Consequently, the promotion granted the title shot to Sean Strickland. 'Tarzan' proceeded to orchestrate one of the most significant upsets in recent history by dominating Adesanya and claiming the middleweight belt.

'Stillknocks' is currently preparing for a showdown against Strickland for the 185-pound championship in the main event of UFC 297, set to take place on Jan. 20. Du Plessis had previously stated that if he emerges victorious this weekend, he intends to face Adesanya in his first title defense.

During the same interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Dricus Du Plessis addressed the question of whether he desires to face Adesanya next:

"Do I feel destined to fight Izzy? No. What feels destined is an event in Africa; that's my destiny to go and take the UFC to Africa; that's what I want to do, and if you throw Israel Adesanya, that makes the destiny a whole lot more interesting. But it is my destiny to fight Adesanya, absolutely not, but I would love to fight Adesanya on the African soil or on my home soil of South Africa; I would love nothing more."

Check out Dricus Du Plessis' comments below (10:38):