Israel Adesanya gives Dricus du Plessis his flowers as "an African champion" while outlining how they "paved the way" for kids

Israel Adesanya recently commended Dricus du Plessis for being an African UFC champion and for opening a door for a generation of young Africans to achieve a similar dream.

In a recent video on his YouTube channel, 'The Last Stylebender' and former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman discussed both of their shared experiences as African UFC champions and paving the way for young Africans. They also acknowledged du Plessis for doing the same. Adesanya said:

"We've paved the way now that kids can be like, 'I want to be like Kamaru Usman.' So, they see like there's a path. There's a way you can go from a... newbie to a contender to a champion. Before that, we had to pave the way. And now, even Dricus, credit to him, the fourth African [UFC] champion, he's paving the way right now. And, I'm glad he is a champion because we still have an African champion."

Check out Israel Adesanya's comments below (28:33):

'Stillknocks' became the middleweight champion by defeating Sean Strickland at UFC 297. He has since successfully defended the 185-pound championship twice, extending his UFC record to 9-0.

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Israel Adesanya talks about Dricus du Plessis' fighting style

Israel Adesanya fought Dricus du Plessis at UFC 305 last year, aiming to become the middleweight champion for the third time. Contrary to expectations, du Plessis thwarted Adesanya's efforts with a fourth-round submission victory.

During an episode of the Pound 4 Pound podcast, 'The Last Stylebender' reflected on du Plessis' fighting style, saying:

"He's stubborn, man. It's even funny to watch. I give him all the respect. He's so good at what he does, no matter what. What did I say before, 'He's the best s*** fighter in the world.' But somehow, he makes it look good."

Check out Israel Adesanya's comments on Dricus du Plessis below: