Israel Adesanya won’t get an opportunity to face Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 293 in Sydney, but he sees a silver lining.
The initial plan was to have Adesanya (24-2 MMA, 13-2 UFC) defend his middleweight title against Du Plessis (20-2 MMA, 6-0 UFC) at Qudos Bank Arena on Sept. 9. The South African challenger wasn’t healthy enough to make the date, however, and instead Sean Strickland slid in to the headlining spot.
Adesanya made no secret about his frustrations that the grudge match didn’t happen. However, he’s moved on and is now able to see a bigger picture. He’s by no means going to sit on his hands and wait for Du Plessis’ perfect scenario, as the champion said he “calls the shots,” but Adesanya wants the fight to happen, and thinks it’ll be monumental for not only MMA – but the sporting world as a whole.
