UFC: Adesanya Gives Reason He Lost To Du Plessis—-Israel Adesanya, the former UFC Middleweight Champion, has spoken out about his submission defeat to South Africa’s Dricus du Plessis.
The bout, which took place on Sunday, marked a significant moment in Adesanya’s career, as it was the first time he was submitted in a professional MMA fight.
Despite leading 2-1 on the judges’ scorecards heading into the fourth round, Adesanya found himself overwhelmed by a relentless barrage of hooks and jabs from du Plessis. The South African fighter delivered a series of powerful right hooks that knocked Adesanya down, setting the stage for a rear-naked choke that forced Adesanya to submit.
The bout was stopped three minutes and 38 seconds into the five-minute round, resulting in a shocking defeat for the Nigerian-New Zealander.
Reflecting on the fight, Adesanya acknowledged the mistake that led to his submission but remained determined to continue his career. “I just made a stupid, dumb mistake,” he said. “I’m 35, I’m doing the right things… watch this, I’m not leaving.”
Adesanya explained that during the fight, he attempted to defend against du Plessis’ takedown by using the fence and trying to fight off the top hand. However, du Plessis was able to switch to a Gable grip, making it difficult for Adesanya to separate the hands and escape the choke. “I have to watch it properly to really see what happened, but I felt great. He didn’t really surprise me because I knew he was tough,” Adesanya added.
For Dricus du Plessis, the victory was a testament to his strategy and resilience. With this win, du Plessis extended his undefeated streak in the UFC to eight fights, bringing his overall record to 21-2. Reflecting on the bout, du Plessis praised Adesanya as one of the best strikers in the division but emphasized the importance of his takedown. “This man is the king of getting back up. No one can take him down and keep him there,” du Plessis said.
Adesanya’s loss marks a challenging period in his career, as he has now lost three of his last four fights. Despite this, the former champion is not ready to step away from the sport, signaling his intention to continue competing at the highest level.
The MMA world will be watching closely to see how Adesanya bounces back from this setback and whether he can reclaim his place among the elite in the UFC.
