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The UFC 305 Countdown previews the intense rivalry between UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis and former champ Israel Adesanya ahead of their historic main event, which marks the first time two African-born fighters battle for a UFC title. Don't miss the main card action that kicks off at 10pm ET / 7pm PT on Saturday August 17.
The UFC 305 Countdown previews the intense rivalry between UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis and former champ Israel Adesanya ahead of their historic main event, which marks the first time two African-born fighters battle for a UFC title. Don't miss the main card action that kicks off at 10pm ET / 7pm PT on Saturday August 17.
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00:00Cultural roots run deep for the people of Africa.
00:05And the pride of the nations is echoed through its sporting culture.
00:10In recent years, the rise of African fighters in the UFC has been clear and present.
00:19I've come from humble beginnings, all the way from Nigeria, and here I am.
00:25On August 17th, history will be made when two African-born fighters will compete for a UFC title for the first time.
00:36In a grudge match years in the making.
00:46Considered one of the greatest middleweights of all time,
00:52Nigerian-born Kiwi Israel Adesanya once reigned supreme in the 185-pound division.
00:58He flatlines the best fighters in the world.
01:02Israel Adesanya is the undisputed king of the middleweights.
01:07In the story of life, in this game we play, when it's your time, it's your time. You maximize it.
01:12He is the elite of the elite.
01:14One of the greatest mixed martial arts fighters of all time.
01:18Israel Adesanya is an incredible fighter. One of the best to ever do it.
01:21But his fire is dimming, if not out.
01:28South Africa's Drakus Duklesi announced his intentions on arrival in the UFC.
01:37I want to be the first real African jab trained, born, bred in Africa.
01:41Setting him and Adesanya on a collision course.
01:44Yeah, my African brother.
01:45I'm African but I ain't no brother of your size.
01:47I will show you where you're from.
01:49The stakes were raised when Duklesi broke through to become the Rainbow Nation's first UFC champion.
01:54This is history. Thank you, South Africa.
01:57South Africa is the greatest country in the world. Let's go!
02:03There are people lining up to get a shot at the new champ.
02:06Israel Adesanya, get your ass back in the UFC so we can settle the score.
02:10With Duklesi at the helm of the middleweight division,
02:13the stage is set for the fierce rivals to finally settle the score.
02:17Beating Drakus is more important to me than getting the belt back.
02:20This fight's about history.
02:21The fear of losing is what motivates me.
02:23I was put on this earth not to be average and I refuse to be.
02:27In this episode, we chronicle the journeys of two middleweight greats
02:31whose paths were destined to meet inside the UFC octagon.
02:35These help us to always positively influence one another
02:38so that we can make a difference in the world.
02:40Before the war of words turns to action,
02:44this is UFC 305.
02:48Countdown.
03:01August 17th marks the UFC's return to Perth.
03:06Where for the first time in the promotion's history,
03:09two African fighters will battle for UFC gold.
03:14When South Africa's Drakus Duklesi
03:19looks to defend his title against the division's former king,
03:23Israel Adesanya.
03:26While Adesanya's career was forged in New Zealand,
03:29the former champion maintains a connection with his homeland.
03:38Born in Lagos, Nigeria.
03:40Grew up there.
03:41Beautiful childhood in the heart of Lagos.
03:45Then lived in Ghana briefly before I moved to New Zealand.
03:48And living here, you know,
03:51I had to learn how to adjust to a culture shock.
03:54You know, I had to learn how to adjust to a culture shock.
03:59Parents still spoke it about to me.
04:01I still ate Nigerian food.
04:03There was still Nigerian discipline in our household.
04:07Might have lived in a different country,
04:09but my culture never, never left me.
04:14Culture shock, but also I adapted really well,
04:18regardless what was thrown at me.
04:21I used to get picked on a lot.
04:23So I was like, you know what?
04:24I'm sick of these...
04:27I'm going to get my get back.
04:30Even if there were bigger kids,
04:31I'd make sure you're leaving with something.
04:32So eventually I was just hard to deal with.
04:35And that was my decision to start fighting.
04:38And then eventually I realized
04:40I might be the greatest at this, so
04:43I just decided to chase it.
04:51Adesanya made a name for himself
04:53in kickboxing as a striking phenom.
04:56After amassing over 70 pro wins in the ring,
05:00he transitioned his flamboyant style seamlessly into MMA
05:05and quickly found himself arriving
05:07on the sport's biggest stage.
05:11As a combat sports athlete,
05:13getting a title is the goal for most fighters.
05:17And I always said I'm the champ
05:18before I even go to the belt.
05:19Once I go into the UFC,
05:20I was like, I feel like I'm the guy.
05:22Israel Adesanya, he arrives at the UFC debut here tonight.
05:27He's used to finishing guys,
05:28and he's used to finishing them alone.
05:29The last stylebender has arrived.
05:32Middleweights, I'm the new dog in the yard.
05:34This is a fantastic young fighter
05:36with confidence to match my first main event.
05:39It's only my third fight.
05:40I'm just getting warmed up.
05:42He is one of the highest level kickboxers
05:44you're ever going to see.
05:45Oh!
05:46Big left and a right.
05:47Now the uppercut in the knee.
05:49Brunson is down.
05:50Oh, exactly again.
05:52Another knockdown.
05:53Israel Adesanya.
05:55I don't throw in hope.
05:56I aim and fire.
05:57Down the barrel.
05:58Oh, my goodness.
05:59New choice.
06:00Knockdown for Adesanya now.
06:01I feel like I'm the king,
06:02and I actualized it.
06:03Made it happen.
06:06Oh!
06:07Whitaker nearly out on his feet.
06:08Adesanya trying to close it out.
06:10It's over.
06:11It's over.
06:12Israel Adesanya is the undisputed king of the middleweights.
06:15What a performance by the last outbender.
06:17That's my obstacle.
06:18Less than two years into his UFC career,
06:22Israel Adesanya is what he knew and thought he was,
06:26the best middleweight on planet Earth.
06:28Oh!
06:30What the...
06:35Who I am as a person,
06:38Who I am as a person,
06:39my culture has never shifted.
06:42I got a tattoo of Nigeria
06:43with a lion inside of my chest.
06:45Oh!
06:46Knockdown for Adesanya.
06:48Moonfighter.
06:49That is it.
06:50Still undisputed.
06:52That's heart of a lion.
06:53Ayabieku.
07:00He makes it look easy,
07:02no matter what he is doing.
07:03He's the most sophisticated striker in the sport.
07:06Israel Adesanya, once again,
07:08the undisputed king of the middleweights.
07:10I know where I'm from.
07:11That will never ever be taken away from me.
07:13So I always make sure my culture stays with me,
07:15and no matter where I'm at,
07:16I know who I am.
07:17It has been an incredible rise
07:19to UFC superstardom for Israel Adesanya.
07:22My house, let's go!
07:24When it was my time to shine, I did.
07:26Oh!
07:27Right behind Adesanya!
07:29Israel Adesanya!
07:34Oh!
07:35Mission accomplished for the last Stylebender.
07:39He begins his second title reign,
07:41and the road to UFC middleweight golden glory
07:44once again goes through Auckland, New Zealand.
07:48Legacy is very important to me.
07:51Not just for me, but for my family.
07:54I feel like that name, Adesanya now,
07:57will reign supreme.
07:59Back in Nigeria, the prefix Ade
08:01is for anyone with royal blood, royalty.
08:04But now that name worldwide, Adesanya,
08:07is synonymous with me and my family
08:11and in history forever.
08:14It'll echo through time.
08:16The win over Alex Pereira
08:18earned Adesanya his second middleweight title
08:21and confirmed him as one of the greatest middleweights
08:24of all time.
08:26As two-time UFC middleweight champion,
08:31As his second reign commenced,
08:33a new challenger from the African continent was emerging.
08:49Anybody that grew up in South Africa
08:50will tell you how amazing it is.
08:53I grew up in a household where hard work
08:56was rewarded firstly.
08:58Nothing else will be accepted.
09:01Anything you did, you do with pride.
09:05Everything you do, you try to be the best at it
09:07and that is a South African mindset.
09:12My dad, my two older brothers and my mom,
09:15we were always pushed to try and be
09:18the best that we can be.
09:20Because at the end of the day,
09:21what you do says a lot about you.
09:29I started with judo with my brothers.
09:32They were both multiple-time national champions.
09:36And then I started wrestling.
09:37I always loved martial arts in general
09:39and the sport of mixed martial arts.
09:44At the age of 14, I started training K-1
09:46and at 15, I had my first K-1 amateur fight.
09:52And I loved it.
09:53I loved every second of it
09:54and after that first fight,
09:56I knew that I wanted to do this
09:57for the rest of my life.
09:59Fighting out of Silverton, Pretoria,
10:01Drikus Duplessis!
10:06Duplessis' MMA pursuits saw him quickly
10:08become a household name on the regional scene.
10:11Naturally, he is so gifted, raw, strong
10:14and just so hungry.
10:16It is!
10:18Drikus Duplessis, the 19-year-old,
10:21is setting the middleweight division alight.
10:24The UFC played such a massive role in my career
10:26and my rise to the top.
10:28Doing the impossible, he's 23 years old,
10:31two-division champion.
10:34Pretoria!
10:35The years in time, baby!
10:40The platform and being a double-division champion
10:42is what got me to the UFC.
10:45Drikus still knocks Duplessis,
10:47a former two-weight champion, South Africa,
10:50who's a legit fight finisher
10:52and a welcome addition to the middleweight roster.
10:55A lot of people are excited to see how he contends
10:57now he's in the UFC.
10:59That's it!
11:01What a debut!
11:03Being in the UFC was the downfall of many, many fighters.
11:05I mean, so many fighters want to make it to the UFC
11:07and once they do...
11:10Huge right hand!
11:12They almost lose that passion because they've made it.
11:14That's never been mine.
11:16South Africa is officially on the map now!
11:19Being a champion, I have to do it.
11:21I have to be a champion to be able to be considered
11:23as one of the greatest.
11:25Every single strike that he's thrown tonight
11:27was 100% power.
11:29Just like that, Drikus Duplessis
11:32for it on the UFC
11:34and coming to the top ten next week.
11:36That's South Africa for you, baby!
11:38And these Duplessis fights always got a little crazy in them.
11:42So that has been my goal from the first day in the UFC
11:45is to be champion and ultimately be the greatest fighter
11:49of all time.
11:50That's it. That's it.
11:53This is incredible for me and it's so huge for Mike Andre for me.
11:56I'm here in the top five and I'm getting a title shot too.
11:59Drikus Duplessis, ladies and gentlemen!
12:10In April of 2023,
12:12Israel Adesanya knocked out Alex Pereira
12:15to reclaim the middleweight title.
12:17Stylebender regains the middleweight championship of the world
12:21and reestablishes himself
12:23as one of the greatest mixed martial arts fighters of all time.
12:27South African Drikus Duplessis
12:29had emerged as a potential challenger to Adesanya's reign.
12:32Drikus Duplessis, a perfect 5-0 start to his UFC career.
12:38An impressive win streak upon arrival in the UFC
12:42put Duplessis in the title picture.
12:45But the champion had already placed the South African in his crosshairs
12:49long before.
12:50Drikus first came on my radar
12:52when he spoke ill of the Three Kings.
12:55I want to be the first real African champ trained,
12:57born, bred in Africa.
13:03I said I was the first fighter out of Africa.
13:06He's going to bring the belt back home
13:08to where I live.
13:11He doesn't respect African kings, African champions
13:14because he sees himself different from us.
13:18I mean, did those belts ever go to Africa?
13:20I'm going to take a belt to Africa.
13:22I'm the African fighter in the UFC.
13:25I breathe the African air.
13:28I wake up in Africa every day.
13:30Africa born, we African raised.
13:32Still reside in Africa.
13:36That's an African champion and that's who I'll be.
13:38That's an African champion and that's who I'll be.
13:41How the f*** are you going to question our African-ness?
13:43Like, who the f*** are you?
13:44He could have been like,
13:45there's been lately a great reign of African champions
13:49and that's been awesome.
13:50I look forward to taking my place as an African champion as well.
13:56This whole story was never about him for me.
13:58It was about my own goal.
14:00It's about my accomplishment.
14:02It was never to discredit his.
14:04This thing blew up and if they're going to be pissed off about that,
14:07so be it, I don't care.
14:09I'm going to whoop his ass so bad.
14:11Because you've got to choose your words wisely when you speak
14:13on people that have come before you.
14:15People that have paved the way for you.
14:17You want to try and be a big boy.
14:18You want to bamba.
14:19You want to deal with the big boys.
14:21I will gladly drag his carcass across South Africa.
14:27He got triggered, I don't really care.
14:28I don't care if he's angry about it.
14:30We'll settle it.
14:38The vitriolic feud between Adesanya and Duplessis
14:42had the MMA world yearning for a future matchup.
14:46In order to confirm his status as the top contender,
14:50the South African first had to clear his most formidable challenge to date.
14:54If I see myself as the best in the world,
14:56I need to fight the best in the world.
14:58While the former world champ Robert Whittaker
15:00is hell-bent on regaining his crown
15:02and as such, he has asked for it.
15:05And as such, he has asked to face
15:07the streaking South African, Drakus Duplessis.
15:10I knew the Whitaker fight was going to be the fight
15:12where I prove to the whole world that
15:14there's a new champ on the way.
15:15And prevailing thought is the winner of this fight
15:17could challenge Israel Adesanya.
15:19UFC 290 in Las Vegas, I was there cage side.
15:24I wanted to be there
15:25because this guy's already been talking some s***
15:27so I want to give him a lick.
15:29Alright guys, let's do it.
15:31I expected him to win.
15:32I was one of the only ones.
15:35Here's the middleweight contender
15:37out of South Africa, Drakus Duplessis
15:40in a fight with massive championship implications.
15:44UFC middleweight champ Israel Adesanya
15:46is likely the most interested observer
15:49watching Octagon side tonight.
15:53All credit to my coach for that fight.
15:55There's very, very few holes
15:57in the game of Robert Whittaker.
15:59Fighting Southpaws, he beat all of them
16:01but he got caught a few times coming in.
16:04And we went through the videos
16:05and he showed me every time he saw it.
16:07Good combination by Duplessis.
16:09And my coach came to me and says,
16:10OK, we're going to fight Southpaw.
16:13And he was right.
16:18Beautiful jab by Duplessis from the Southpaw.
16:24The game plan worked out perfect.
16:27Oh, he stunned him.
16:28He stunned him bad.
16:29He's hurt bad.
16:30Whittaker's in a world of trouble.
16:32Once I caught him with that jab
16:34and he went down,
16:35it almost felt like the whole world disappeared.
16:39It felt like an out-of-body experience for me.
16:41And I saw him going down.
16:42I saw his eyes roll back of his head.
16:44I just knew that this is it.
16:46Whittaker covers up.
16:48Can you believe it?
16:49Drakus Duplessis calls his shot
16:52and stops Robert Whittaker inside 10 minutes.
16:55What a performance by Drakus Duplessis.
17:03Look at Izzy.
17:04The champ is just staring him down.
17:06And he's got a style that might just be unorthodox enough
17:10to give the middleweight champion a lot of issues.
17:15As soon as he rocked Rob,
17:16I heard, oh, and you see me just shoot up like, yes.
17:20Oh!
17:22Go, go, go!
17:25Hurry up! Hurry up!
17:27Yes! Yes! Yes!
17:31I was excited.
17:32And when it happened, I was like, yep, we're here.
17:34I told you I manifested this.
17:36I manifested this.
17:38I wanted to make a point.
17:40You want to go in?
17:41You have my word.
17:42Come on, man. Come on, man.
17:43Don't do it. Don't do it.
17:45So I'm like, oh, yeah?
17:46You really want to test my gangstanks?
17:48I was like, I bet.
17:49Let me show you who you are.
17:50This is my African brother right here.
17:52Let's go.
17:53What's up, bitch?
17:54Let's go.
17:56He was so angry.
17:57He was almost throwing a tantrum.
17:59My African brother.
18:00Yeah, my African brother.
18:02He was just flabbergasted.
18:03He didn't know what to make of me.
18:05And especially when I'm in front of you,
18:06it's a lot different.
18:07Hey, stare off.
18:08Just hang on.
18:09Look at me.
18:10Come here. Come here.
18:11Just feel me.
18:12Now he's standing in front of me,
18:13seeing how big I am.
18:14And me just beating Robert Whitaker in the way
18:17I did it faster than he did.
18:18You know, I felt unstoppable.
18:20I felt like king of the world.
18:21I'm African, but I ain't no brother of your size.
18:24Let's go.
18:26I was actually pretty chuffed with myself
18:28that it came out great.
18:30I ain't no brother of your son.
18:32But yeah, if you're not my brother,
18:34then you ain't African.
18:35I don't need a DNA test to know where I'm from.
18:38Do a DNA test.
18:39It'll tell you where you're from.
18:40I will show you where you're from.
18:42He made himself look like a complete fool with that.
18:44I mean, I won that exchange by four.
18:46That was another win for me in one night.
18:47Ladies and gentlemen, we got a world title fight.
18:50I got what I needed to get from that interaction.
18:53I was very fired up.
18:54That, boom, saw the fight right there.
18:57I've never been more motivated in my life to kill a man.
18:59And watch this.
19:00Just stay tuned.
19:01Stay tuned.
19:02He started this.
19:03He started this completely on his own.
19:05But I'll end it.
19:06I'll make sure I end it.
19:08Drakis Du Plessis is gonna be on the poster,
19:10and Israel Adesanya was hopeful for this result here tonight.
19:13This dude is not afraid of Adesanya.
19:15I mean, this is a battle for Africa.
19:17We got these dudes out here going crazy.
19:19I love it.
19:21The highly anticipated matchup between Adesanya and Du Plessis
19:27was slated to take place at UFC 293 in Sydney, Australia.
19:32The emergence of an injury to the challenger, though,
19:35would derail all plans.
19:37All right, Drakis.
19:38What are we working on today?
19:39Just the foot.
19:41Foot, okay.
19:42So, the nerve shock really been working very well.
19:45Has it? Yeah.
19:46I had a small tear in the muscle.
19:49Okay, in your plantar fascia?
19:50Yeah.
19:51Okay.
19:52It looks like Drakis is not going to fight Israel Adesanya on UFC 293.
19:56Du Plessis versus Adesanya.
19:58Du Plessis isn't showing up.
20:00What a missed opportunity, and I just wanted to predict that.
20:03To get a title shot doesn't mean anything.
20:05It's about winning the belt
20:06and being able to be 100% prepared when you fight for that belt.
20:10We are warriors, but you also have to be smart in this game.
20:12What would have gone out there not being able to fight
20:15at my full potential because I'm injured?
20:17I was never going to do that.
20:19Adesanya is saying that Drakis has to man up.
20:22Everybody fights with injuries.
20:23Why is he pulling out of a fight that's a huge opportunity for himself?
20:27Your foot's sore.
20:29My knee was jacked too in my last fight.
20:32Guess what I did?
20:33I showed up because that's what a champion does.
20:35I just wanted to fight in Sydney.
20:36I just wanted to have a fight in this side of the world in a long time,
20:39and I was adamant about it.
20:41The UFC tried to delay it, and I was like, no, I have to fight in Sydney.
20:44I'm fighting in Sydney.
20:45I don't give a f*** who.
20:46Diklas, the pussy, f*** off.
20:48You're out. Strickland, you're in.
20:50Dateline, Sydney.
20:52It has been six long years since The Octagon has touched down
20:56in New South Wales, his capital city.
20:58Today, though, the wait ends for some of the most impassioned fans
21:01in all of mixed martial arts.
21:03And in a matter of hours, one of the UFC's all-time great champions
21:07looks to further strengthen his legacy
21:09at the expense of an upset-minded American challenger.
21:13At a certain stage when I was having my reign,
21:15it got to a point where I was kind of like, is there no one else?
21:18Then, there was someone else.
21:21Walk, walk, walk, walk.
21:24Israel Adesanya enters The Octagon as a two-time UFC middleweight champion.
21:29Let's see if he has another one of those magical performances in his pocket
21:33as he tries to defend his championship to start a second run.
21:38This is where Sean's going to try to be right in the grill of Adesanya
21:41all night long.
21:42Facing a guy like that can be exhausting.
21:44Yeah, you're on edge the whole time.
21:45When I got in there, it felt like a bad dream.
21:51Oh!
21:53A huge right hand for Sean Strickland!
21:56Oh, my gosh!
21:58Oh, my gosh!
21:59Oh, my gosh!
22:00Oh, my gosh!
22:01Oh, my gosh!
22:02Oh, my gosh!
22:03Oh, my gosh!
22:04Oh, my gosh!
22:05Oh!
22:06Oh, my gosh!
22:07Sean Strickland!
22:09The moment he dropped me, he rocked me.
22:11I used a wide strike.
22:13He used a straight punch and got to the target first.
22:16And boom, I dropped.
22:20And he's wailing on me, punching.
22:22And I thought, hold up, I gotta fight.
22:24And I get back.
22:25Strickland applying a lot of pressure!
22:28I wasn't able to just get back on my flow.
22:30A major moment early for the underdog!
22:34I'll say this wasn't my night.
22:38And I don't say that as a cop-out.
22:40You have to understand, in the story of life,
22:42in this game we play,
22:44when it's your time, it's your time.
22:45You maximize it.
22:47This is crazy!
22:48This was not how I expected this fight to play out!
22:51And now Strickland's talking to him!
22:53In all likelihood, Sean Strickland...
22:57Oh, my gosh!
22:58...has produced one of the biggest upsets
23:00in UFC championship history!
23:03And it wasn't my time.
23:04It was Sean's time.
23:09I don't think I took Sean lightly or anything.
23:11But we always do better to prepare ourselves.
23:14There was stones.
23:15I left some turn.
23:22I hate losing. Don't get me wrong.
23:23I f***ing hate losing.
23:25I just felt like I let my people down.
23:27I wanted to show them something special.
23:28I felt like I let them down.
23:30That was the hardest thing for me.
23:31Mommy?
23:32Yeah?
23:33How are you?
23:34You're still a champ.
23:35If you put your gloves down today,
23:37you're set for life.
23:38So don't let anything bother you, OK?
23:41But again, these are things in hindsight,
23:43because you have to do an analysis
23:46and be honest with yourself
23:47on things you need to change.
23:49We'll get him again.
23:50Yeah.
23:51We'll get him again.
23:53It's a good story for him.
23:54I'm proud of him.
23:55I'm gonna get him.
23:57We'll get him back, OK?
23:58I promise.
24:01We'll get him.
24:09UFC 293 capped off a heavy schedule
24:12for the former champion.
24:16The loss sparked the decision
24:17for some much-needed time away from competition
24:21that allowed him to recalibrate his body and mind.
24:24One-minute reset.
24:2610-40-20.
24:27Lack of awareness of time.
24:29Yes, it was a conscious decision for me
24:31to take that time off.
24:32Drop it out, get real calm.
24:35Stay great.
24:36Because that year I had three or four fights
24:39as a champion,
24:40not even as a f****** challenger.
24:44I had somebody from the UFC telling me,
24:47just chill.
24:49But I was so stubborn and adamant,
24:50like, no, I want to fight in Sydney.
24:53Oh!
24:54Adesanya in trouble early!
24:56Oh, my goodness!
24:57Oh, my goodness!
24:58Some fans have wondered aloud
24:59if eventually the breakneck schedule of Adesanya
25:02would catch up with him.
25:05And hindsight, maybe I should have just chilled.
25:07But sometimes when life forces you to stop and slow down,
25:11you listen.
25:12And again, after that fight, I stopped, slowed down,
25:15I listened.
25:16I listened to my body.
25:19And my body is not the same as it was when I was younger.
25:24So it took time to heal my body,
25:26look after my health,
25:27and just really find myself again.
25:31I've handled this really well.
25:34The cards I've been dealt,
25:36the spotlight I was put in,
25:39the magnifying glass I've been put under,
25:41I've dealt really well with it.
25:45Despite the ups and downs, you learn.
25:50There's no f****** book about how to be a UFC superstar.
25:53You have to learn on the job.
25:55People like to throw that out there after anything.
25:58Like, you have one loss.
25:59Nah, I should retire.
26:00That's it. It's done.
26:01He's over the hill.
26:02That's it.
26:03Even after f****** Madison Square Garden,
26:06he's lost it.
26:07He'll never beat Alex.
26:08Retire.
26:09Counter right from Adesanya!
26:10Alaina Darden out!
26:12One of the greatest mixed martial arts fighters of all time!
26:15That's what they say.
26:16But you don't listen to what they say,
26:18because they don't do what I do.
26:20They haven't seen what I've seen.
26:22He got a badge!
26:24I know me.
26:25Hell no.
26:27The curtains haven't closed.
26:28Not just yet.
26:42Middleweight great Israel Adesanya's shocking loss at UFC 293
26:47saw a new king sit on the 185-pound throne.
26:50Sean Strickland is heading back to the United States of America
26:54as the undisputed middleweight champion of the world.
26:59After healing from a foot injury,
27:01top contender Dreykus Du Plessis was positioned for his first shot at UFC gold.
27:06Well, you think Dreykus Du Plessis looks nervous for his first shot at the UFC world title?
27:11I would suggest not.
27:13What a moment for the entire nation of South Africa.
27:17Dreykus Du Plessis is the man that represents an entire nation.
27:21This belt, if he wins it, is for all of South Africa.
27:26The goal will always stay the same.
27:28To be the greatest MMA fighter the world's ever seen.
27:31And being a UFC champion is a part of that.
27:33Dreykus Du Plessis trying to change his life and change the world
27:36by winning the UFC championship tonight.
27:39Sean Strickland, he is a big game player on the biggest of stages.
27:42First title defense beckons tonight.
27:44It's one of the most contested fights for a championship
27:46where you just don't know how good these guys really are yet.
27:53Sean Strickland is the hunted and trying to successfully defend
27:57and produce his 16th win.
28:00We came out first round.
28:01I knew they were going to go, Dreykus doesn't have a gas tank.
28:04Dreykus can't go five rounds.
28:05The first two rounds, he's going to come on hard and then we take the fight.
28:09Nice kick to the body there by the champ.
28:11He started landing the jab, but I thought, I'm just going to walk through this.
28:14It's fine.
28:15Strickland pumping out that jab early.
28:17That jab is just eating him up, man.
28:19And then my eyes started swelling up.
28:21I didn't take that into consideration.
28:22Big welt underneath the right eye of Du Plessis.
28:25And I started seeing my eye in the first round.
28:28I thought, OK, this is not good.
28:31Big right leg in the round from Strickland.
28:41Oh, fluid. Fluid in it.
28:43Guys, all I'm looking for is fluid.
28:45In the second round, I was going forward the whole time.
28:51That was nice.
28:52Spinning back, fist lands.
28:54You've got to hit Strickland with something different.
28:56Funny shots were both there.
28:57He's getting closer and closer.
28:58That was a much better round by Du Plessis in round two.
29:01And then from the third round, I felt great.
29:03I started putting foot on the gas and I went for it.
29:07Du Plessis constantly throwing different speed and tempo
29:11and direction with his strikes.
29:13After the third round, I told my coach,
29:15this is the first time I've come to a fourth round.
29:17This is amazing, and I feel great.
29:19We have arrived at the championship round.
29:21Du Plessis certainly would appear to have a lot of energy.
29:24Whoa!
29:25Strickland really leaking now.
29:27Look at that left eye.
29:29He has made adjustments that have allowed him
29:31to possibly be up 3-1.
29:32I was the aggressor in that fight.
29:34I was 100% sure I won that fight.
29:36Well, the forecast was for a war,
29:38and that is what they got.
29:43A standing ovation in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
29:46as Sean Strickland and Drakeus Du Plessis
29:49go the full 25 minutes
29:51to decide the UFC Middleweight Championship.
29:54That was a lifetime of work coming together on one night.
29:58And...
30:01Yes!
30:04Our disputed UFC Middleweight Champion of the World...
30:12Drakeus!
30:14Still known...
30:17Du Plessis!
30:20Making the history, and I always said I was going to do it.
30:24The new Middleweight Champion of the World,
30:26Drakeus Du Plessis!
30:29I made that promise to myself.
30:31Yes!
30:33And I made that promise to my country,
30:35to every single South African.
30:37This is history, South Africa!
30:39Now we have the Le Mans All-Star!
30:42And to deliver on that promise is very, very special.
30:45That's your country, right?
30:47That's South Africa, baby!
30:49Thank you, South Africa!
31:00After winning the UFC title,
31:02Du Plessis delivered on his promise
31:04to bring the belt back to South Africa
31:06and celebrate it with a nationwide tour.
31:10Sharing that belt with the whole country,
31:12doing a belt tour,
31:15just to see that many people being invested in my career,
31:21it's a massive, massive privilege.
31:24It felt like winning the prize.
31:26It felt like winning the belt all over again.
31:30Cape Town was insane.
31:33It's ours!
31:35We're the champions of the world!
31:40I love you, South Africa!
31:49We decided when we came back
31:52that this is history for our country.
31:54Everybody was in on this fight.
31:56Everybody was early morning hours,
31:58on the TV and going crazy.
32:00We're trying to see as many of the fans
32:02and as many supporters as we possibly can.
32:05Thank you, UFC, that I am the African champion organization.
32:12That created a lot of controversy
32:14and I can understand how the rest of the world
32:16can feel that way.
32:18But we are the only ones that know.
32:21There's only one guy that fought for a belt
32:25that was born in Africa,
32:27that lives in Africa,
32:29that resides in Africa,
32:31that breathed the African air
32:33and that brought a belt back home to Africa.
32:40South Africa is the greatest country in the world.
32:43Let's go!
32:52Now we need to give back
32:54and show the people what we were screaming for.
33:00The feeling of winning the fight was obviously incredible,
33:03but coming home and seeing that airport,
33:06seeing this, seeing all the support,
33:08this beats that fight feeling any day of the week.
33:11He's one of us that achieved the impossible
33:14and that makes every other South African believe
33:17that the impossible is possible.
33:19The fact that he's a champion,
33:21I think it's going to open a lot of doors for South Africans,
33:23so looking forward to what the next chapter brings.
33:26As the first South African UFC champion,
33:29Dreykus Duplessis was revered by his home country.
33:33For him and his people,
33:35there was no doubt who they had their eyes on
33:38for his first defense.
33:40What is next for the champion?
33:42Are we going to see a belt tour
33:44that involves him defending his belt?
33:46100% guys, this fight needs to happen
33:49and I would want nobody else than Israel Adesanya.
33:53I want Adesanya, he wants Adesanya.
33:56Adesanya, you are going down!
33:59DREYKUS DUPLESSIS
34:15On August 17th,
34:18the UFC's return to Perth, Western Australia
34:20will showcase the culmination of a long-standing rivalry
34:25between UFC middleweight champion Dreykus Duplessis
34:30and former champion Israel Adesanya.
34:33He's fighting August 17th in Perth.
34:36Now it's official.
34:37Dreykus Duplessis and Israel Adesanya.
34:39Dreykus Duplessis, the champion,
34:41he's making a travel down under
34:44to defend his championship.
34:46They were supposed to fight before
34:48and there was a lot of beef.
34:49They had that square off inside the octagon,
34:51they got face to face and there was a lot of stuff said.
34:53Yeah, my African brother!
34:54Yeah, my African brother!
34:56Where there's bad blood involved,
34:58Israel Adesanya shines at his brightest.
35:00There's a whole African rivalry.
35:13Ahead of this monumental matchup,
35:16the South African champion will once again
35:18be preparing in his home city of Pretoria.
35:22Under the guidance of the man he credits for his success.
35:31Not only has Munei Fisser helped me evolve
35:34and polished me as a fighter,
35:37without him I wouldn't be here.
35:42He was my only MMA coach I've ever had.
35:45He always says train hard and fight easy.
35:47If you are willing to put in the work
35:50on these matches, because that's the way we do it.
35:53We go hard.
35:56And it shows in the fights.
35:58If you're going to train for that guy,
36:01you have to be a certain type of person.
36:03So think about why are you going to get tased,
36:06all of you, think about it.
36:09This is my assistant coach.
36:13So if they f*** up, I help them fix the problem.
36:18This is fixing the problem, not on his toes,
36:21not picking up his hands,
36:23not kicking when he needs to.
36:25So I'll fix him, yeah.
36:28He does, he definitely does.
36:30He's a very cool mental note.
36:32Works a lot better than a sticky note, I can tell you that.
36:37He doesn't f*** anymore that much.
36:42There's one thing about Munei,
36:44there's not a person on earth that can get me ready
36:46for a fight like him.
36:48And let's go, let's go.
36:50Come guys, let's go, let's go.
36:53I think Israel Hassania is an incredible fighter.
36:56I think he's probably one of the best to ever do it.
36:58I've studied him even before the UFC
37:01to see what I need to do to be the best
37:04and what I need to do to beat the best.
37:11Beautiful.
37:12For every fight,
37:14we do a specific preparation.
37:16With easy, you're guaranteed.
37:18There's going to be a lot of kicks,
37:20a lot of punches, a lot of speed.
37:22Very evasive, not easy to catch.
37:25One of the best fighters in the world.
37:27One of the best fighters ever to fight in the UFC.
37:32Until Drik has arrived.
37:34We haven't shown him anything yet.
37:36And this is what makes him different.
37:38He's making adjustments, following his game plan.
37:39And that's what they can't figure out.
37:41We've got a different game plan for every fight.
37:44Huge right hand.
37:46Du Plessis' knockout power is extraordinary.
37:49Every single strike that he's thrown
37:51with 100% power.
37:53And his wrestling has improved so much.
37:55Oh, beautiful takedown.
37:57Du Plessis is so big and physical.
37:59I see Drik as beating easy
38:02wherever we decide to.
38:04It's stand up, in the kicking,
38:06in the clinch,
38:07in the wrestling,
38:09or on the floor.
38:11He's got no chance.
38:13This fight for me is about me
38:15proving that I am the world champion.
38:17I will always be known for what I've done.
38:20And that's legacy.
38:22My goal is 100% being seen as the greatest fighter
38:25to ever walk this earth.
38:27As training commences for the challenger,
38:30Israel Adesanya has realized
38:32changes must be made for this camp.
38:35To eliminate distractions
38:38and ensure his mind is focused
38:41on regaining the title.
38:44This camp,
38:46a lot of changes.
38:48I'm not going to lie,
38:50I'm not going to lie.
38:52I'm not going to lie.
38:54I'm not going to lie.
38:56Not just for this fight, just for my lifestyle.
38:58Step through with the right hand aggressively.
39:00When you're kicking, it's aggressive.
39:02The main thing for me is just
39:04happiness and attaining peace,
39:06and I feel like I'm doing just that.
39:09I have a really tight circle,
39:11but I'm such a f***ing friendly guy
39:13that I kind of let people creep
39:15close to the edge of the circle sometimes,
39:17or even overstep.
39:19That cut all that off,
39:21just because I want a clear mind
39:23going into this camp.
39:25I'm a lot happier in myself,
39:28a lot happier with the quality of work
39:31that I'm giving,
39:33the mindset I go into the gym with
39:35and I leave the gym with.
39:37Move around a bit, do a lot of fainting.
39:39Good.
39:41I've done a lot of self-reflection.
39:43Like I said, ups, downs, smiles and frowns,
39:45beautiful, ugly, everything.
39:47I've gone through it all.
39:49A lot of honest reviews with myself.
39:52Check what your upper body's doing.
39:54And feel like I'm attaining peace.
39:56While the new mental approach
39:58is paying dividends,
40:00the physical focus aims to tap into
40:02Adesanya's foundational abilities.
40:04I don't think we're necessarily
40:06going to see an evolution,
40:08but we're just going to see
40:10the old Israel
40:12and some of the old tricks
40:14that we're pulling out of the bag.
40:16Some of that stuff we put by the wayside,
40:18mainly because of the opponents
40:20we've been facing.
40:22We need to pull some of those tricks
40:24and bring back some parts of his game
40:26that's still there.
40:28It just needs to be refined and polished up
40:30and brought back into his arsenal.
40:32When you're kicking, it's aggressive,
40:34so your right hand can't be a bull**** right hand.
40:36Step in, boom.
40:38The number one thing is always going to be his mindset.
40:40Izzy doesn't think for a second
40:42that he's not the best fighter in the world.
40:45It's always going to be his mindset
40:47that makes him dangerous.
40:49Striking IQ off the charts.
40:51I'm enjoying the journey.
40:52I'm enjoying the process
40:54to get to the octagon.
40:57So effortless and fluid.
40:59When I get in there,
41:01I know one thing I can control
41:03is giving my absolute best
41:05and having fun.
41:07Too easy. He's too good. Wow.
41:09That's the thing about his arsenal.
41:11It's so deep. He can do so many things.
41:13Future in the UFC Hall of Fame.
41:15I'm giving my best and I'm having fun.
41:17I'm the best in the world.
41:19He has to go back to what made him so great.
41:20And I plan on being the best in the world
41:22that night.
41:40Ahead of their main event showdown
41:42at UFC 305,
41:45UFC Middleweight Champion
41:47Dreykus Du Plessis
41:48and Israel Adesanya
41:52begin promotional efforts
41:54adding further fuel
41:56to their heated rivalry.
41:58Looking to reclaim what was once his,
42:00please welcome
42:02Israel Adesanya
42:04and now
42:06the champion
42:08Dreykus Stillnox
42:10Du Plessis.
42:12Mission for Israel,
42:14what's it being like to be able to
42:16sort of take some time to yourself
42:18because it's the longest layoff
42:20of my fighting career.
42:22It's not just the fights itself,
42:24the camps,
42:26the pressures of being the king of everything.
42:28So it was good for me
42:30just to remove myself from the game.
42:32So I want to fight with freedom
42:34and that's what I'm going to do.
42:36Fight freely.
42:38And in terms of the time off,
42:40did you do anything in particular?
42:42Yeah, I took up golf.
42:44I'm glad you took up golf
42:46because that's your retirement sport.
42:48There's always going to be
42:50a bit of tension between yourself and Dreykus.
42:52Can you just run through why that is?
42:54There's always tension whenever you fight anyone.
42:56This is a fight at the end of the day.
42:58We're not playing chess, we're fighting.
43:00So there's always going to be tension there.
43:02But then him discrediting me, Kamaru Usman,
43:04he came in the UFC,
43:06I knew who he was a little bit,
43:08but I didn't go,
43:10oh, who the f*** is this fake dude coming in?
43:12I just said, cool, there's another African in the UFC.
43:14That ticked me off a little bit.
43:16So that's what started this.
43:18I'm going to be the nicest guy in the world.
43:20I'm going out there to kill you.
43:22And I hope you're doing the same to me
43:24because otherwise it's not going to be a good night for you.
43:26And as far as discrediting,
43:28never discredited anybody.
43:30But quite frankly, I don't really care about
43:32how it rubbed them off the wrong way.
43:34At the end of the day, I'm a fighter, I'm a warrior
43:36and the people pay to watch that.
43:38Look, I've been here, bought the T-shirt,
43:40done it twice.
43:42Yeah, it's not really about that.
43:44For me, it's taking on the best warriors
43:46from different lands.
43:48And that's him, his head.
43:50And that's what I'm coming for.
43:52So yeah, I'm coming for heads and I stick with that.
43:54Thank you, gents.
43:56Face in the front, please.
43:58You know, he's trying to convince himself
44:00that he still wants to be here.
44:02Let's go, guys. Facing forward, please.
44:04And I'm just here to let him know it's OK, it's over.
44:06Call it a day, call it a career.
44:08Facing forward.
44:10Come on, guys, can we get the help?
44:12Just face in the front.
44:14That's the feeling we do this for,
44:16getting that excitement.
44:18He's lost that hunger for the game.
44:24That's the one thing.
44:26The day I lose that excitement is the day I'll call it a career.
44:28And I believe me, there's a lot of excitement in this heart.
44:32After coming face to face for the final time
44:35before they meet in the Octagon,
44:37Adesanya and Du Plessis return to their respective homes
44:41to make their final preparations.
44:44One-to-one.
44:46Cut.
44:48He doesn't want to be there.
44:50He's done what he wanted to do in this sport.
44:54And he keeps on talking about his piece.
44:57He keeps on talking about how he's set for life and all of that.
45:06But that mindset is not what you want
45:08when you get into that Octagon with me.
45:10Because I represent one thing, and that's chaos.
45:13And that's the enemy of peace.
45:15And believe me, when I get into that Octagon,
45:16there will be nothing, even close to peace.
45:24What motivates me now is
45:27beating people who are
45:31elite fighters.
45:33Beating them, taking their name, taking their heads off.
45:38And what I'm getting now is just history,
45:42bits of the story, the fighting,
45:43the legendary clashes.
45:45That's what I want.
45:52I don't like Adesanya personally, but that's irrelevant.
45:55This is business.
45:57This fight for me is about me
45:59and proving that I'm the greatest fighter in the world.
46:04There's only one massive advantage.
46:06The only one needed to win this fight.
46:09And that's I have a heart of a lion.
46:11I have a fire burning in me
46:13where his fire is dimming, if not out.
46:17I have a fire in me that he's going to feel come fight night.
46:21What a moment for the entire nation of South Africa.
46:25And it all comes down to this guy tonight,
46:28Drakis Du Plessis.
46:30But Israel Adesanya is one of the greatest champions
46:33the UFC has ever seen.
46:35Remember, just flow. Have fun.
46:37Beating Drakis is more important to me than getting the belt back.
46:39I beat him, he still keeps his belt in his house,
46:42above his fireplace, whatever.
46:44Kill, kill.
46:46Doesn't make any difference to me.
46:48It's about beating Drakis, South Africa's finest.
46:51Go in there, make it look easy.
46:53Every time somebody steps up,
46:55Izzy is more than willing to put them back in their place.
46:58I'll show him who he is.
47:00I'll remind him who he is.
47:02This man is a fighter, his greatness personified.
47:04He started this, I'll finish it.
47:06On August 17th,
47:07on August 17th,
47:09Drakis Du Plessis!
47:11middleweight adversaries will finally clash.
47:14As Israel Adesanya
47:16Israel Adesanya!
47:18looks to settle the score and regain the title.
47:21Against the current champion,
47:23Drakis Du Plessis.
47:25It all goes down in earth-western Australia
47:28at UFC 305.
47:30I think we're all feeling the tension of this title fight.
47:33That would be a fantastic fight
47:35with the foundation already built for the bad blood.
47:37I think we're all feeling the tension of this title fight.