Tired of waiting, Du Plessis seems satisfied to fight Adesanya anywhere

It seems Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis has had enough of waiting and has taken matters into his own hands.

With a UFC event unlikely to take place in South Africa this year, the man from Pretoria has called out bitter rival and former champion Israel Adesanya.

Rumours have been flying around of a possible main event in Perth, Australia at UFC 305 on 18 August.

“Looks like someone wants another beating in Aus. I’m in, I also wouldn’t want to fight the king of Africa on home soil. Manifestations working good for you AGAIN!” du Plessis posted on Instagram this week.

100% up for it

Nigerian-born Adesanya – a citizen of New Zealand who has been successful in Australia – has reportedly said he is “100% in” for this fight which has been brewing for some time now.

Du Plessis and Adesanya have a long-standing rivalry that dates back to when Adesanya was the middleweight champion and du Plessis called him out, saying he would be a true African champion and bring the belt back to Africa.

This kicked off heated animosity between the two, and it appeared they’d settle their differences at UFC 293 in Sydney. Instead, du Plessis was unable to fight on that timeline.

Since then, the title has changed hands twice and now sits on the mantlepiece at the South African’s home.

Strickland must wait

Sean Strickland – the man who took the title from Adesanya and then lost it to Du Plessis – has also been vocal about deserving a rematch, but the UFC is known for making fights the fans want to see.

So it appears Strickland will have to take a backseat and wait for his opportunity.

Now, while a title defence on South African soil is obviously first prize, having this spectacle in Perth could almost be classified as the second-best place.

The capital of Western Australia is famous for being the home of many South Africans who have left our sunny shores for various reasons.

And regardless of the country or the venue, thousands of South Africans will wake up at any time to support their one-man Springbok army.