Israel Adesanya vs Dricus du Plessis: South African UFC champion brands Nigerian-born MMA star a fool

There is news about Nigerian-New Zealand professional mixed martial artist Israel Mobolaji Adesanya.

Adesanya is trending ahead of his showdown with South African UFC Middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis.

At UFC 305 on Saturday in Australia, du Plessis and Adesanya will square off in the highly anticipated match, but don't expect Du Plessis to lose his composure.

Prior to the battle, the 30-year-old fighter said he would control his emotions.

He will be defending the UFC middleweight belt for the first time since he defeated Sean Strickland in January.

Du Plessis was alluding to a July 2023 altercation between himself and Adesanya, in which the South African challenged "DDP" in the cage following Adesanya's victory over Robert Whittaker.

Speaking to Fox Sports Australia Du Plessis said, “I don’t behave emotionally because I’m in control of what I do.

"So there’s nothing he can ever say that would get me angry or upset. When you start behaving emotionally like that, it’s a loss.”

Adesanya, a Nigerian native, took offense to a remark made by Du Plessis earlier on his ambition to become the first "real African champion" in the UFC.

In the build-up to their title battle and in the cage on fight night, Adesanya, according to Du Plessis, "was behaving like a fool" during the 2023 showdown.