SUMMARY
- Dricus du Plessis defeated Sean Strickland via a disputed split decision to become the new Middleweight Champion.
- In the post-fight press conference, Dana White was questioned about the potential return of Israel Adesanya for the historic UFC 300 card.
UFC 297 ends with a new controversy and a lot of questions to be answered. The newly crowned champion, Dricus du Plessis, defeated Sean Strickland via a disputed split decision, making the middleweight division one of the most interesting ones. The middleweight title has changed hands two times in the last five months, and fans are eager to see what’s next for the division.
Many believe that the South African winning the title at UFC 297 sets the stage perfectly for the return of Israel Adesanya, who is the most dominant middleweight in the modern era. In the post-fight press conference for UFC 297, UFC president Dana White was questioned about the potential return of Adesanya for the historic UFC 300 card.
Dana White asked if Israel Adesanya is trying to come back sooner rather than later:
We’ll find out next week. #UFC297 pic.twitter.com/AsbSMFxTtT
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) January 21, 2024
White replied by teasing a huge update, “We’ll figure this out Tuesday, we’ll probably announce it next week”. Stating that he would possibly be announcing the final fights for UFC 300 next week. He was also asked about the availability of the former champion, to which Dana didn’t give a clear answer and shared the same response. White also abstained from sharing who the next middleweight challenger would be.
The Last Stylebeneder also sparked controversy with Dricus after an alleged racially charged in-cage faceoff at UFC 290. And the open disdain for each other started a storyline of its own. This was a match in the making and had become a focal point for the division. Strickland went in to defeat Israel for the title at UFC 293.
Israel Adesanya responds to Dricus du Plessis’ callout at UFC 297
Dricus du Plessis did make a callout for the former champion Israel Adesanya in his octagon interview after winning the title, re-igniting the rivalry. Fans would be eager to see how things unfold. And whether the two elite middleweights would settle the debate at the grandest stage of the year in April at UFC 300. While some fans are still disputing his decision to win at UFC 297.
With a possible Strickland rematch also in the picture, the MMA community will have to wait to see how the UFC decides to move the division forward. However, Adesanya was quick to respond to the South African’s callout through a tweet. Making it clear that he was too interested in facing him on his return.
He stated, “This arc in my story was written long ago. Our paths are destined to cross again. Stay tuned for the next episode, thanks for watching, We Write History”. Adding to it are three videos, including one sparring session that involved him, Du Plessis, and featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.
✨IS~RA~EL 🐉 ADÉSÀNYÀ‼️
This arc in my story was written long ago. Our paths are destined to cross again. Stay tuned for the next episode, thanks for watching.
We Write History ✨✍🏾 pic.twitter.com/c5EHGWBjlL— Israel Adesanya (@stylebender) January 21, 2024
He also shared their infamous faceoff at UFC 290 as well as a montage of his walkouts and knockouts. The Last Stylebender is currently on hiatus, but many believe he will be back soon to assert his dominance again.
This would be his second recent callout by a champion. Previously, Adesanya was called out by Alex Pereira after winning the Light Heavyweight title at UFC 295 to complete their trilogy. Now it is to be seen what major update Dana White brings next week.