UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya sent an ominous warning to contender Dricus Du Plessis over some of his recent comments, claiming he'd become the promotion's "first real African-born champion."
Adesanya spoke with the media at the UFC 287 post-fight press conference this past Saturday night in Miami, Florida, following his triumphant second-round KO win over former champ, Alex Pereira, and responded to Du Plessis, who is a South African native, questioning the 33-year-old Lagos, Nigeria natives authenticity as a representative of the continent.
“I will whoop that...ugh, I wanna whoop his ass so bad," Adesanya said (h/t MMA Mania). "I wanna whoop his ass so bad. I want to do it in South Africa or Nigeria. But he’s gotta do work. He’s gotta do something. Show me something, so I can whoop that ass and I can show you history. I’ll remind you. Because you gotta choose your words wisely when you speak on people that have come before you. People that paved the way for you. You’ve got to pick your words wisely. You want to try and be a big boy? You want to Bamba? wanna chill with the big boys? You got to choose your words wisely. I don’t want to give him no clout, but if he does work — and I pray to God he keeps winning — I will gladly drag his carcass across South Africa.”
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