This fight is NOT confirmed. However, it’s heavily believed to be happening at the same point. When it does, who would win between Israel Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis? Let’s put our hypothetical hat on and discuss what could happen if the fight is ever made official.
When Will Adesanya Fight Du Plessis?
As of this writing, UFC 300 is STILL main event-less. Head-scratching because it’s being billed as the promotion’s top show of the year, and one of the most of all time. Only a few names have the star power to headline such a hyped show — Jon Jones, Conor McGregor, and yes, Adesanya. Could UFC 300 feature Du Plessis vs. Jones?
It was hinted at when UFC 297. After beating Sean Strickland in an absolute war that night, Du Plessis used his post-fight speech to call out Izzy. He said, “get your ass back in the UFC so we can settle the score.” This was just in January so to turn around and fight come April — especially after the damage Strickland inflicted on him — feels too rushed. But Dana White could be desperate enough for a marquee fight to write a big check to convince the fighters to do it.
Adesanya will need convincing though. His career feels at a crossroads right now. Strickland savagely beat him last year to capture the championship. Seriously, it was a five-round beatdown that included a near finish in the first round. Adesanya was booed out of the building too and it just felt like a total downfall for one of UFC’s most successful fighters. Things were so bad that Adesanya said he won’t fight “for a long time.”
Admittedly, rest could help the former champion, Izzy. Hate him or love him, you can’t deny his activity. Adesnya fought three times in 2022 and two more in 2023. These were wars, not only with Strickland but rival Alex Periera too. He is 34 years old so Adesanya doesn’t have time to stay away from the octagon for too long, but UFC 300 sure would stretch it.
Izzy vs. Du Plessis makes sense for late 2024. We mean, the fight sells itself. These two verbally sparred over being African. Adesanya feels he’s “more” African because, well he’s black (despite New Zealand and China flags more than his home Nigeria). Du Plessis says he's the real African because he actually loves and trains in his native South Africa. We have no dog in this fight, but we know a box-office matchup when we see one and it’s this.
Du Plessis vs. Adesanya Betting Prediction
The best betting sites for UFC have set odds for a potential Du Plessis-Adesanya fight. We’re actually surprised that the favorite is NOT the current middleweight champion. Here’s the latest odds:
| Fighter |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Israel Adesanya | -150 | -150 | -150 |
| Dricus Du Plessis | +110 | +110 | +110 |
We’re surprised Izzy is favored based on his previous performance. As we said, it was not good in the slightest. Adesanya had zero answer for Strickland’s constant pressure, which is similar to how Du Plessis usually fights (as we saw in his own fight with Strickland). The performance really does bring into question how much Adesanya has in the tank.
The Izzy of old, who ran through the middleweight class, could beat Du Plessis. See, both have kickboxing backgrounds but Adesnya is far more accomplished at it than Du Plessis. Adesnya is also longer and with Du Plessis sometimes over-pressure in the octagon, an opportunity for a counter blow would be there all night for Adesnya. Izzy had enough power to make most opponents pay in the past, but perhaps that’s no more.
An X-factor of this fight could be who has the better chin. The way we see the fight play out, both men will have their shots to land punishing blows — Du Plessis on the attack and Izzy on the counter. The question is, who will withstand them more? Part of the reason Du Plessis fights so recklessly is he seems to have the utmost confidence in his chin. Adesanya has only been knocked out by one man (Pereira), but was rocked by Strickland who isn’t known for his power.
When picking this fight, we just have too many doubts about present-day Adesanya. Not just the age, but the miles he has — with over 100 fights dating back to his kickboxing career. It HAS to have taken a toll on his chin, speed, and reflexes. We’re confidently laying a bet on Du Plessis if this fight happens, and probably a sizable one too. Those plus-money odds are too good to not bet with size.
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