#Respect! Dricus and Adesanya hug it out after intense battle
“Tonight Africa would have won regardless,” Dricus du Plessis apologises to Israel Adesanya following their match in Perth.
Dricus du Plessis retained his UFC Middleweight Championship after forcing his rival Israel Adesanya to tap out to a rear-naked choke.
In the main event, Du Plessis put his belt on the line against the former UFC champion in Perth. The 30-year-old Pretoria fighter looked confident before the match as he was ‘escorted’ by two Springboks stars Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth,
Dricus defends UFC title against Adesanya
Dricus initially started the fight slowly, but eventually gained momentum and unleashed a series of devastating punches. He then secured a chokehold, forcing Adesanya to quickly tap out, resulting in a decisive defeat by submission.
After the fight, Dricus and Adesanya were seen embracing each other. The defending champion even praised his opponent, saying he did so much for the sport.
“This man has done so much for this sport. It was an honour for me to share the same cage with a legend like that. Guys, believe me, I do not want to be kicked by that man again,” du Plessis said.
The rivalry between Adesanya and Dricus heated up due to Du Plessis‘ comment from early last year about wanting to be the first “real African champion,” which didn’t sit well with Adesanya. After the fight, the two men showed respect by acknowledging each other and fans praised both fighters for showing maturity.
@AjDuxche wrote, “I’m glad Dricus and Adesanya were able to squash the beef and show respect to each other after the fight.”
“Dricus humble in victory. Great to see the guys giving each other respect in the ring. A much better look for the sport, “@TrollusMaximus tweeted.
Did you enjoy the fight?
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