Israel Adesanya says he’s not friends with Dricus du Plessis but doesn’t think he’s a bad person: “We’re cool, and I respect him”

UFC legend Israel Adesanya has said that while he isn’t friends with Dricus du Plessis, he certainly respects him.

Last weekend, Israel Adesanya failed in his attempt to capture the UFC middleweight championship for the third time. He lost to Dricus du Plessis, suffering a fourth round submission defeat at UFC 305. After the bout, though, it seemed as if the two men buried the hatchet following what seemed to be a bitter feud heading into the contest.

RELATED: What’s next for the Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya after UFC 305?

In addition to sharing pleasantries on the microphone, they also had a nice moment backstage with their respective teams.

When talking about the South African star and their relationship, Adesanya had the following to say.

Adesanya praises du Plessis

“Oh, he just gave me a lot of props, a lot of love, a lot of respect,” Adesanya said. “I accepted it and I shook his hand. Then, after his interview, when we were leaving the cage, we just talked. He said ‘sorry,’ maybe—I can’t remember—but he just gave me a lot of props. He said, ‘Hey, you know, I’m a big fan,’ and of course, I was like, ‘I know.’ And I said, ‘Look, look how far we’ve come from way back then—who would have thought? Now we’re here.’ I was like, ‘f**k yeah,’ and then we hugged. I said, ‘Look, I respect you, I appreciate you.’ I don’t think DDP is a bad person. I don’t know him. Again, we’re not friends, we don’t know each other, but we can be cool—we’re cool, and I respect him.”

“It was never beef. Again, when I say beef, it’s just like you have to fight someone—you don’t have to like them. You don’t have to like them. Again, he didn’t like me, I didn’t like him, but I think now we have a healthy respect for each other. I won’t say we’re BFFs or we’re friends, but if I see him, it’s love. I’ll give him a hug, I’ll dap him up.”

Quotes via MMA News

What’s next for both men? Let us know, BJPENN Nation!