Dana White vows to bring UFC to South Africa if Dricus du Plessis defeats Israel Adesanya: “Obviously we’ll do it”

If Dricus du Plessis can defeat Israel Adesanya, Dana White will make UFC South Africa happen.

This Saturday in Australia, ‘Stillknocks’ will look to make his first title defense. Back for the first time since winning the gold against Sean Strickland in January, Dricus du Plessis will face Israel Adesanya. For his part, ‘The Last Stylebender’ hasn’t competed since a unanimous decision loss to ‘Tarzan’ nearly a year ago.

For the South African, the fight is a very, very important one. Not only is it Dricus du Plessis’ first title defense, Israel Adesanya has also proved to be a great foe for the 30-year-old. Now, the middleweight title bout has ever more stakes. At the Contender Series post-fight press conference last night, Dana White discussed UFC South Africa.

There, the promoter stated that he would make the event happen if Dricus du Plessis defeated Israel Adesanya on Saturday. According to Dana White, heading to Africa for ‘Stillknocks’ would be a no-brainer if he wins. The tone comes in stark contrast to prior discussions of the UFC potentially heading to Africa in the past for Francis Ngannou or Kamaru Usman.

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Dana White commits to UFC South Africa if Dricus du Plessis beats Israel Adesanya

“You have one of these situations where for both guys, everything is on the line.” Dana White stated during the press scrum. “Especially, because they dislike each other so much. If he can beat Izzy and bring the belt back to South Africa, obviously we’ll do an event there. If Izzy can win the title, it will be huge for him and his legacy.”

He continued, “I’m sure [there’s tension], it’s a big fight. Every time guys hate each other like this, the fight usually ends up sucking. But, I have a really good feeling this one won’t. You’re talking about, if you’re looking at what Israel Adesanya has achieved in life, not only here but in kickboxing too, and Dricus, he brings it man.”

For what it’s worth, it’s not going to be easy for the South African to get past Israel Adesanya. As of now, MGM has the odds at -110 even for both men heading into Saturday’s UFC 305 main event.

What do you make of these comments from UFC executive Dana White? Do you believe Dricus du Plessis will defeat Israel Adesanya on Saturday?