UFC 305: Touching backstage moment between DDP and Adesanya, watch the moment here

Off the back of an ugly 12 month build-up UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis and defeated rival Israel Adesanya shared a heartfelt post fight moment. Watch the video here.

Dricus Du Plessis of South Africa has his arm raised by Israel Adesanya of Nigeria after winning the Middleweight championship fight by submission during UFC 305. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

Following an ugly 12 month build-up, and less than an hour after their fight finished, middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis shared a tender backstage moment with his defeated rival Israel Adesanya.

Former two-time champion Adesanya had just wrapped up his post-fight press conference, where he confirmed his intention to keep fighting, when du Plessis entered the room.

Bare-chested, sweaty and still in his fight kit, du Plessis presented Adesanya with a custom-made jacket featuring a South African-inspired inlay.

The jacket had been initially given to du Plessis by his good mate and Springboks captain Siya Kolisi, who, along with second-row veteran Eben Etzebeth, walked DDP to the cage at UFC 305.

Adesanya accepted the gift, the pair hugged, and the New Zealander raised his rival’s hand in the air in victory.

Then, du Plessis hugged Adesanya’s mum and dad and apologised for the bad blood that soured the lead-up to the fight.

It was a remarkable moment of respect after months of racially-tinged taunts and questions of African identity.

Adesanya says he expects to fight du Plessis again, but doesn’t see it as a revenge mission.

“I’m not desperate to get it back, he gave me a lot of respect in there and I gave him his respect back,” he said. “I already knew he was a fan of me, but now I guess I’m a fan of his.

“When I’m in South Africa, I’ll tap in with him, and I said to him, ‘We can hang out, but just so you know, when we have to fight again, I’m gonna kill you’.

DDP submitted Adesanya in the fourth round. Picture: AFP

“And he’s like, ‘I’m gonna kill you too!’

“So, the respect is always there and Dricus is an African champion.

“He’s going to inspire another generation of African fighters, so congrats to him tonight – until we meet again.”

Du Plessis later explained why he gave Adesanya the jacket.

“We’re not friends, because on a personal level, we do not see eye-to-eye, but warrior to warrior, after spending that time with him in the Octagon, you can’t not respect the man,” he said. “To give him that jacket was a token of appreciation.

The pair said they have a lot of respect for each other. Picture: Getty Images

“This is such a massive moment in my life, fighting a great fighter like Israel Adesanya.

“Win or lose, I was going to give him that jacket as something to remember this magic moment of an all-African main event.

“The great father, Nelson Mandela, that was his biggest thing. He said sport unites people in a way that politics can never, ever do. It was amazing what we saw in there.

“To unite after the fight, and to be able to show the world how amazing – even though on a personal level, there’s no friendship – that the respect is there.”

Du Plessis is expected to defend the title against another former champion Sean Strickland, although Rob Whittaker could get a title shot as well.

Originally published as UFC 305: Touching backstage moment between DDP and Adesanya, watch the moment here