By Victor Kanayo
Nigeria’s Israel Adesanya and Dricus du Plessis of South Africa will on Sunday morning square off in UFC middleweight title bout scheduled for Perth, Australia.
Dubbed Battle for Africa, the fight will be the first-ever all-African title fight.
The tension between these two fighters has been simmering for months, sparked by Du Plessis’ challenge to the legitimacy of Adesanya and other African-born UFC champions like Kamaru Usman and Francis Ngannou.
Du Plessis, who trains and resides in South Africa, insists his presence on the continent gives him a stronger claim to the title of “African King.” In contrast, Adesanya, who was born in Lagos but moved to New Zealand at age 10, has fiercely defended his African roots, accusing Du Plessis of disrespecting the legacy of past African champions.
The altercation, labelled by commentators as the “Battle for Africa,” set the stage for what has now become one of the most culturally charged fights in UFC history.
Adesanya, twice holder of the middleweight belt, has downplayed the significance of reclaiming the title in comparison to the importance of settling the score with Du Plessis.
According to Mixed Marshal Arts (MMA), Du Plessis will hope to defend against two-time champion in the main event of UFC 305.
He is undefeated inside the octagon and recently claimed the belt from Sean Strickland, who dethroned Adesanya in 2023.
Strickland, ranked No. 2 in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, is the sole top-ranked middleweight currently not booked.
