- Nigerian UFC fighter, Israel Adesanya pocketed $750,000, while du Plessis earned $500,000, with both expected to surpass seven figures with pay-per-view earnings
- Despite the loss, Adesanya expressed pride in his performance and acknowledged du Plessis as the "better man"
- The fight marked the first-ever UFC title bout between two African fighters
Adesanya, known as 'The Last Stylebender', is set to earn a guaranteed $750,000 for the UFC 305 fight, while Du Plessis is set to collect $500,000. With the anticipated strong performance of the pay-per-view broadcast, both fighters are expected to walk away with earnings well into seven figures.
Du Plessis earned slightly less than Adesanya despite his victory.
Adesanya vs. Du Plessis: A clash of African titans
In a historic UFC 305 main event, Dricus du Plessis forced Israel Adesanya to tap out for the first time in his MMA career.
The 30-year-old South African successfully defended his title, which he captured earlier this year by defeating Sean Strickland at UFC 297.
The bout not only held historical importance as the first-ever UFC title fight between two African fighters but also delivered financially for both combatants.
Reflecting on the fight, Adesanya admitted that things seemed to be going his way until Du Plessis unleashed a barrage of punches, leading to the fight-ending sequence.
While the bout was a competitive back-and-forth affair, Adesanya was quick to clarify that he wasn’t seriously hurt by the strikes that preceded Du Plessis' submission.
"For me, I have to watch it again because I don’t think I was rocked, I think I slipped and I was like, ‘What the f*ck was that?” and then he was trying to catch me as I was exiting," Adesanya shared at the post-fight press conference.
At the time of the stoppage, the scorecards were split, with two judges scoring the fight 29-28 in favour of Du Plessis and the third judge giving Adesanya the edge by the same margin. Nonetheless, the submission in the fourth round rendered the judges’ opinions moot.
Although the loss was painful, Adesanya remained positive about his performance. "I felt like I was winning the fight," he said.
"I hurt him a few times to the body, and I felt my shot was coming because he kept on reacting to when I was hurting his body. But again, tough dude, strong spirit. I wouldn’t say I’m disappointed in myself, but I’m proud of the way I carried myself this camp, and I came in ready. It sucks to lose," the Nigerian mixed martial star concluded.
Prior to UFC 305, Adesanya had described his last performance, an "atrocious" loss to Sean Strickland, as one of his worst.
This time, although the result was not in his favour, Adesanya found solace in the fact that he performed well and gave his best.
"This is my first time being submitted, another history. Wow, amazing. I keep doing it. I’m f*cking great at this," Adesanya said.
In the end, Adesanya acknowledged Du Plessis as the "better man" on the night, and while the defeat stung, he could take pride in the effort he displayed.
Path to redemption: Adesanya reflects on past defeat, gears up for another showdown
Previously, TheRadar reported that Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya will finally meet for the UFC middleweight title on Saturday, August 17. Du Plessis claimed the title in January, earning a split decision win over Sean Strickland in a hard-fought, competitive battle that extended the South African’s record to 7-0 in the UFC and 21-2 overall.
Nigerian star Adesanya competes for the first time since losing the belt to Strickland last September in Sydney in an uncharacteristically flat effort.
