Israel Adesanya has told fans to expect "something special" for his next UFC world title fight.
Adesanya, 33, won back his middleweight belt by knocking out bitter rival Alex Pereira at UFC 287 last month. It marked the fourth time Adesanya and Pereira had fought across all disciplines, with 'The Last Stylebender' finally getting a win having previously lost all three contests against Pereira.
The middleweight champion is expected to defend his belt against the winner of Robert Whittaker vs Dricus Du Plessis, which takes place at UFC 290 in July. Adesanya has been one of the UFC's most active champions in recent years and he promised to bring something different to the octagon for his potential fight against Whittaker or Du Plessis.
“Face The Pain! Back in the day when you heard this track…you know s***s about to get REAL!! We’ve come a looong way as a sport. It’s been awesome to watch the growth…then I jumped in the game and played my part in taking it to new levels and to millions and millions of new people around the world," Adesanya's tweet read. "My next game will be something special, regardless of who wins. Who do you want to win, Rob or Dricus and why?”
Adesanya already has two wins over Whittaker having knocked 'The Reaper' out to win the middleweight belt in 2019, also beating him in their rematch last February. Du Plessis has angered Adesanya in recent months with comments he made about being "the African champion" in the UFC, with Adesanya vowing to beat up Du Plessis "until he is black" for his take.
Who do you want to see Israel Adesanya fight next - Robert Whittaker or Dricus Du Plessis? Let us know in the comments section below
“I already talked to Dana [White], tried to set up some things:” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. “I never discredited him as an African. You want to make a fight? Cool. But the fact that as a f****** cracker, to tell me who the f*** I am, that p***ed me off, and that’s why he’s my next fight. I don’t want to fight anyone else.
“I’m going to f****** take him to school, in the octagon and on history. I’m going to f****** beat him until he’s black. I have never questioned him as an African because yeah, you were born in Africa. South Africa. Of course you’re an African. I have never questioned that, but who the f*** is this cracker to tell me who the f*** I am? What he’s doing is creating divide."
