Israel Adesanya: Nigerian UFC Champion brands South Africa’s Dricus du Plessis a 'Nigg*r' at UFC 290

In the main event of UFC 290 on Saturday, Dricus Du Plessis overcame fellow contender Robert Whittaker to secure his first shot at the title.

At the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Du Plessis defeated former champion Whittaker to win the middleweight title eliminator.

In September's UFC 293 event in Sydney, the champion Nigerian and New Zealand professional mixed martial artist Israel Mobolaji Adesanya and the South African will square off in a fiery grudge bout as a result of the South African's triumph against Whittaker.

Adesanya and Du Plessis engaged in an intense octagon confrontation after the bout.

In his face-to-face post-fight exchange with the South African fighter, Adesanya frequently used the N-word.

Adesanya was stoically gazing down on the top middleweight challenger as the South African Du Plessis celebrated his stunning triumph.

Prior to Adesanya entering the cage and things getting heated, Du Plessis boasted about his cardio during a post-fight interview with Joe Rogan.

The New Zealander of Nigerian ancestry shoved his subsequent adversary in the face, but he insisted that he and his "African brother" wouldn't get physical during their exchange.

Then, in a series of remarks, "Stylebender" addressed issues of race, which have been central to his developing conflict with du Plessis.

In his ascent through the rankings, the 29-year-old has raised controversy by criticizing past champions Francis Ngannou and Kamaru Usman as well as the African representation of Adesanya.

Du Plessis takes issue with Adesanya, Usman, and Ngannou claiming Africa while training and residing abroad, despite the fact that they were all born in Africa.