Israel Adesanya returns to the cage for the first time since UFC 293 in Perth on Saturday. Photo: Jonty Dine
The talk is done.
The latest barbs exchanged between Israel Adesnaya and Dricus Du Plessis have taken their feud from hot to smouldering.
If the tension was not obvious prior to the Friday night press conference, it would now need a Richter scale to be measured.
At UFC 305, Adesanya will make his return to the octagon after a year long hiatus as he looks to regain his middleweight title against the South African champion.
But before the clash in the cage, the two fighters went on attack with the mic.
With the Perth crowd firmly in his corner, Adesanya was asked by the media if he would bring the belt to Nigeria should he win, and was cut off by DDP who queried 'will you take your servants with you?'
The comment was a reference to Adesanya having grown up in Nigeria with domestic help.
The jab struck a chord with 'the Last Stylebender'.
"You don't know anything about my story, you have no idea who I am," he said.
"I don't care about your story," Du Plessis replied.
Adesanya was then seen holding back tears as he stated why he fought.
"He touched a subject there because I do this for my family, I do this for the people I love. I'm a man. I can cry and whoop your ass at the same time. I'm gonna f***ing kill your dreams, bitch."
Following the presser, the two again faced off in an intensely prolonged staredown where yet more insults were shared.
The UFC middleweight title picture was seriously shaken up at UFC 293 in Sydney.
The merry-go-round began in September 2023 when Sean Strickland shocked the world with a five round domination of Adesanya to steal the strap.
In Strickland's first defence, he was edged in a fiercely close split decision to crown Du Plessis the new king.
Tune in from 1.30pm on Sunday for RNZ's live coverage of UFC 305.
