Dricus du Plessis retained his middleweight title at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia, by submitting Israel Adesanya in the fourth round of an intense match.
The 30-year-old South African stunned Adesanya, a Nigeria-born New Zealander, with a right hook before taking him to the ground and locking in a rear-naked choke.
After the fight, Du Plessis honored Adesanya, and the two fighters reconciled their differences following a tense pre-fight buildup.
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“To share this octagon with a legend… this man has done so much for this sport and I’m really sorry it came across that I disrespected he was from Africa – it was never my intention. Tonight Africa won regardless,” said Du Plessis.
“It was an honour for me to share this cage with a legend like that. I have the utmost respect for him, an ultimate warrior. Believe me, I do not want to be kicked by that man again.”
Former UFC middleweight champion Adesanya, was fighting for the first time in 11 months after taking a break from the sport, citing mental and physical fatigue after contesting five title bouts in 16 months.
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