Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya remains motivated to make Dricus Du Plessis pay for some of his remarks at UFC 305.
Having not competed since losing the title in shocking fashion against Sean Strickland last September, Adesanya will make his return to action opposite the man against whom "Tarzan" fell off the throne earlier this year.
After an injury to Du Plessis scuppered plans for the pair to collide in Australia 11 months ago, "Stillknocks" and "The Last Stylebender" are now just days away from a battle Down Under, one that the South African will enter as the divisional kingpin.
Du Plessis and Adesanya have long gone back and forth over the former's remarks about African heritage. In addition to branding himself the "real African" in the UFC in one of his first post-fight interviews, the South African has pointed to his continued stay in the continent as a relevant point compared to the likes of Adesanya and Kamaru Usman.
Adesanya Vows To Show Du Plessis The Error Of His 'Colonialist' Mindset
During a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Adesanya looked ahead to his mixed martial arts comeback and further commented on the sensitive topic that built his feud with Du Plessis early last year.
The Nigerian-New Zealander reiterated his frustration with his upcoming opponent's mindset, pointing to his journey and stories such as that of Francis Ngannou as examples Du Plessis ignored when branding himself the "real African" in the UFC.
It's not personal, personal. I just want him to take accountability for his remarks," Adesanya said. "Dricus is saying, 'I train in Africa, I do this in Africa,' and then people like (Abdul) Razak (Alhassan) and myself, who were forced to flee our own country because of better opportunities, he'll never understand that because he lives behind the f*cking gates of his privileged life in South Africa.
Not like someone like Francis, who had to cross the desert to go overseas to go train. If you know Francis' story, you can't call him not a real African champion because he didn't train in Africa," Adesanya continued. "It's like, bro, are you f*cking kidding? The guy got sent back out to the desert six, seven times to go die and he survived. ... We paved the way for him and he comes out there and tries to take it all for himself. I wonder where he got that from? ... 'I see this and want it all for myself.' ... What kind of mindset is that? ... That's a colonialist mindset.
Adesanya will look to settle his grudge with Du Plessis within the steel surroundings of the Octagon this weekend, when he makes the walk to it for the first time in close to a year.
Should he have his hand raised in Perth, more than just emerging victorious from what appears to be a heated grudge match with the South African, "The Last Stylebender" will achieve a historic three-time crowning.
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