Israel Adesanya, almost a year ago to the day, stood within inches of African arch rival Dricus du Plessis and, repeatedly, even venomously, branded him the n-word.
But on Wednesday morning in Perth?
Well, the only thing this pair of UFC stars really argued over was … um, golf.
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In scenes nobody could have predicted, Adesanya and du Plessis traded only a few barbs over respect, tension and – most bizarrely of all – teeing off around the Auckland links barefoot at a press conference to launch their impending UFC 305 blockbuster on August 18.
With his new, UFC middleweight strap displayed on a table in front of him, DDP even seemed to wind back his previous comments about Adesanya, who was born in Nigeria but now resides in Auckland, New Zealand, not being a real African champion.
The pair also ended proceedings with an intense, and incredibly long, staredown in which security eventually had to step in and break it off.
A moment which would prove one of the highlights of a presser in which few real shots were delivered.
Despite a heated history that effectively began 16 months ago – when du Plessis famously declared himself ready to become the UFC’s first, real African champ – the pair went nowhere near the intensity of previous showdowns.
However, at one point du Plessis did mock the Kiwi superstar for claiming, in his time out of the Octagon, he had taken to swinging clubs and walking barefoot, or earthing, at his local golf course.
“I’m glad you took up golf,” the champ grinned, “because that’s a retirement sport”.
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Surprisingly, DDP also opened proceedings by stating: “This is my first time defending the title, and obviously the time that two Africans are headlining a main event of the UFC.
“That’s history, and that’s amazing.
“You know, two African-born fighters main eventing a massive event — that in itself is a massive honour for me.
“And fighting one of the greatest middleweights ever, I don’t want to defend my title against anybody else”.
Which is a far cry from this time a year ago, right?
When after defeating Australia’s Robert Whittaker at UFC 290, DDP suddenly found himself confronted by Adesanya who, having watched proceedings from row one, then entered the Octagon and launched into what could only be described as a fairly colourful rant.
“Relax, relax, relax,” Adesanya told security staff as he approached du Plessis inside the cage.
“This is my African brother right here. Let’s go, n*****. What’s up, b****. Let’s go n*****, yeah n****! What the f**** you gonna do, n****? Yeah, my African brotha …”
And on it went.
Yet in Perth on Wednesday, Adesanya simply promised to show the new champ “who he is” when they square off for the title ‘Stylebender’ was himself sensationally stripped of by Sean Strickland at UFC 293 in Sydney last September.
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Only months later, du Plessis then beat Strickland to create a blockbuster showdown with the countryman who has long been upset by the “real African” claims DDP made, initially, after his 2020 debut and then doubled down on at a post-fight press conference last year.
Asked to speak on the tension between the pair this week, Adesanya joked: “Really?”
Then going again, he continued: “There’s always tension whenever you fight anyone
“We’re not playing chess.
“We’re fighting.
“So there is always going to be tension there.”
Soon after, Adesanya continued that this meeting was destiny given, apart from the highly publicised grievances between the pair, they also originally trained together years ago in Thailand and now met again in Perth — the destination of Adesanya’s UFC debut.
“So it’s almost like destiny,” the former champ continued.
“We met in a staph-infested room in Thailand, at Tiger Muay Thai back in the day.
“Had a little play around.
“And funny enough, here we are again. Full circle.
“And back where it all started for me.”
Adesanya added he had initially been upset by du Plessis’s comments as he took it as a direct insult to three African champions – himself, welterweight Kamaru Usman and heavyweight Francis Ngannou.
“He tried to discredit the ‘three Kings’ and say that he was the true African champion,” Adesanya continued.
“I was like ‘it’s a weird mindset bro’.
“He came into the UFC and I knew who he was a little bit, but I didn’t go ‘who the f … is this fake dude coming in?’
“I just said ‘cool, it’s another African dude in the UFC’.
“But then him discrediting me, Francis Ngannou, Kamaru Usman, that ticked me off a little bit.
“So that’s what started this, but I’ll finish it.”
So as for what DDP makes of it all?
“For me, there’s no tension,” he stressed at a Perth press conference which also included UFC flyweight rivals Steve Erceg and Kai Kara-France.
“I get into the Octagon and do my job, do my business.
“You can be the biggest a**hole in the world, or you can be the nicest guy in the world.
“I’m going out there to kill you.
“And I hope you’re doing the same to me.
“Otherwise it’s not going to be a good night for you.”
And as for discrediting the Three Kings?
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“I never discredited anyone,” he said. “I’m stating facts.
“Where do I reside? What is my postal code?
“Where do I train, where do I live?
“Where was I born?
“In South Africa.
“I’m still there, still training and I won this belt from South Africa.
“I didn’t travel anywhere else.
“And that’s the only thing I stated.
“I never discredited anybody.
“And quite frankly, I don’t care if it’s rubbed him the wrong way.
“I don’t care.”
At which point, Adesanya interjected: “I don’t give a f*** where he’s from, but I’ll show him who he is”.
A comment to which the champ replied, first, with a confused look.
“Whatever that means,” he shrugged.
“I’m glad you took up golf because that’s a retirement sport.
“I can understand why you took up golf.”
But still Adesanya wasn’t finished, adding: “Hey man you do what you have to do in your own time.”
