Israel Adesanya has claimed he doesn’t need the belt to motivate him or make him great ahead of his clash with Dricus du Plessis at UFC 305.
Yet despite the denial, reclaiming the middleweight belt – which he lost to Sean Strickland last year in one of the sport’s biggest upsets – was still undoubtedly his goal as he tried to put a definitive end to the bad blood between the two men that had been simmering all week in Perth.
“I didn’t show that much of an advantage,” the former champion told Daniel Cormier in the octagon after being submitted in the fourth round by the South African.
After traversing the division years earlier during a landmark reign as champion, Adesanya has now tasted defeat in two consecutive fights.
“I still feel like I made history,” Adesanya said. “I’ve never lost two matches in a row.”
Will Israel Adesanya retire after being submitted by Dricus du Plessis at UFC 305?
“Tonight, Africa would have won no matter what, but tonight, it was South Africa who came out on top,” du Plessis said after retaining his belt with a rear-naked choke.
“It was an honor for me to share the cage with a legend like that. I have the utmost respect for him, warrior to warrior.
“And if he retires… I don’t want that man to hit me again.”
Adesanya returned from the longest spell of his career in an attempt to reclaim his throne but fell short against a determined du Plessis.
The Nigerian-born New Zealander removed his gloves inside the cage after the defeat, leading some to speculate he was about to announce his retirement.
“I know all you motherf***ers want to see me lose, want to see me fall, but look at this, I’m not leaving!” Adesanya shouted into the microphone to wild applause from the sold-out RAC Arena crowd of 14,152.
And Adesanya reiterated that stance after the fight when speaking to the media.
“People interpret things too much like that – I only took my gloves off because they were tight,” he said.
“I told you, I’m not leaving until I feel like it.”
What’s next for Israel Adesanya?
When asked about a potential return to light heavyweight, Adesanya insisted he would remain in the middleweight division.
“I love this setting so much,” he smiles.
“I’m not losing this body. I’m not losing these gains.
“I’m going to eat barbecue, drink piss and get back to training.”
Yet while Adesanya was adamant that his time in the UFC was not over after suffering another setback, he admitted that he was entering the final stretch of his illustrious career.
“Enjoy me while I’m here because I’m going to miss you when I’m gone,” Adesanya said.
“It’s always destiny. It’s not what I planned, but I believe in the strangest things: everything happens for a reason.”
“It’s not about the belt or anything. It’s about doing what I want to do to finish this show. And I’ve still got a long way to go.”
