Dricus Du Plessis praised Israel Adesanya . The South African, who has already defeated the Nigerian in a fight for the middleweight title (up to 83,9 kg) at UFC 305 in August 2024, believes that the 'Stylebender' has already built enough in his career to join a select group of Ultimate athletes.
In an interview with 'Fight Forecast', Du Plessis explained that, in his opinion, Israel Adesanya , former middleweight champion and owner of five successful title defenses, has nothing left to prove and, therefore, the Nigerian already deserves to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. Despite the legacy he has already built, according to the South African, this doesn't mean it's time for 'Stylebender' to retire.
“I think it’s difficult, and sometimes you need someone to tell you: ‘Listen, it’s time’ (to retire). For him, I think that time hasn’t come yet. In terms of achievements in the sport, that’s not what he’s focused on. It probably won’t happen because those aren’t his goals. He’s already done everything, he’s already in the Hall of Fame, he’s one of the best to ever play this sport,” Dricus Du Plessis told 'Fight Forecast'.
Dricus Du Plessis believes Israel Adesanya is already a Hall of Famer with nothing left to prove 🫡👏
“I think it's hard, and sometimes you need somebody to tell you, 'Listen, it's time.' For him, I don't think it's time yet. In terms of accomplishing things in the sport, that's… pic.twitter.com/MqO6Vin4DV
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) February 13, 2026
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Israel Adesanya's current situation
Israel Adesanya is scheduled to fight Joe Pyfer at UFC Seattle on March 28th. The Nigerian is coming off three consecutive losses in the organization. Currently ranked sixth in the middleweight division, the 36-year-old is looking for a win to reposition himself among the contenders to challenge the current champion, Khamzat Chimaev.
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