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Sam Bruce, Deputy Editor, espn.com.au
PERTH, Australia — The final news conference for UFC 305 featured another heated exchange between middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis and challenger Israel Adesanya that saw the Nigerian-born New Zealander depart the stage in tears.
Again, the discussion shifted back toward “culture,” a central theme in the buildup to this much anticipated fight, as Du Plessis again posturized about being the first “residing” African champion in the UFC.
After Adesanya said he would travel to Nigeria with the belt on Tuesday, followed by South Africa a few days later, Du Plessis interjected and asked whether he would be “taking the servants with you.”
That struck a nerve with Adesanya who then fired straight back at his opponent.
“You don’t know anything about my story. Shut the f— up. Listen, my father and myself had to wake up at 4 a.m. to clean the banks while my mum studies to be a nurse, you don’t know my f—ing story.
“Don’t f—ing speak about my story if you don’t know my story. I will show you who you are Sunday.”
The two then exchanged words over the Welcome to Country, an Indigenous ceremony in Australia, from earlier in the week, with Adesanya accusing Du Plessis of showing a lack of respect for the custom.
Du Plessis then again attempted to antagonize his opponent, before Adesanya was asked a question from the audience about the tension between the two fighters.
“He touched a subject there because I do this for the family, I do this for the people I love and I will fight for you forever, I swear to God,” Adesanya said while pointing to his family who were seated in the front row.
“I am a f—ing human being. I am a man, I can cry and whoop your ass at the same time. I feel the love from the crowd, the first time I fought here [in Perth], [UFC] 221, that was February 2018, that was me making my dream come true. Sunday I’m going to f—king kill your dreams, b—-, I’m going to kill your dreams. “
Adesanya then banged the desk and walked off stage as the news conference ended, before the duo returned only minutes later for another tense faceoff.
Sunday’s fight will be Du Plessis’ first title defense since he took the middleweight belt from Sean Strickland at the start of the year, while Adesanya is returning to the Octagon for the first time in nearly 12 months following a loss to the same opponent.
If defeats Du Plessis on Sunday. Adesanya will become only the second three-time champion in UFC history alongside Randy Couture.