‘He finds a way' – Israel Adesanya makes surprise prediction for Dricus Du Plessis vs Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319
The Last Stylebender's old belt will be on the line early on Sunday morning when defending champion Dricus Du Plessis locks horns with the surging Khazmat Chimaev.
6
Dricus Du Plessis defends his middleweight title against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319
Credit: UFC
6
Chimaev goes into the fight as a huge favourite, with many believing this weekend's clash with DDP is a formality
Credit: GETTY
6
Former middleweight champ Israel Adesanya will be keeping a close eye on the fight
Credit: GETTY
Du Plessis has yet to taste defeat inside the octagon since making his debut nearly five years ago and has already banked two title defences.
But the South African slugger is the UNDERDOG going into his clash with Russian wrecking machine Chimaev, who has also run roughshod since making his promotional debut.
Many MMA fans believe this weekend will usher in the Chimaev era at middleweight and be his coronation as one of the faces of the UFC.
Adesanya, 36, was blown away by the Chechen clubber's brutal blowout victory over fellow former champion Robert Whittaker last October.
READ MORE UFC NEWS
ZAT GUY Was Chimaev banned from USA and did Trump help UFC 319 star get into country?
But he's not ruling out the prospect of the highly unorthodox Du Plessis getting the job done, just as he did in their grudge match last August.
In an exclusive interview SunSport, the Nigerian-born New Zealander said: "I think Khamzat showed me why he's the f***ing animal at 185 with that Rob fight.
'But, DDP [Dricus Du Plessis], finds a way [to win]. He's so stubborn.
'He's got strong willpower and he finds a way.'
SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET £50 BONUS WHEN YOU JOIN
6
Dricus Du Plessis got the better of Israel Adesanya in their grudge match last August
Credit: GETTY
6
Khamzat Chimaev ran through Robert Whittaker in his last outing last October
Credit: Getty
Adesanya hasn't set foot inside the octagon since his second-round TKO loss to surging contender Nassourdine Imamov in February.
Defeat to the Frenchman was the fan favourite's third in a row, the previous of which came at the hands of Du Plessis and Sean Strickland.
Israel Adesanya provides major update on UFC return and opens door to two mega fights amid fans' calls for retirement
The two-time 185lbs king faced strong calls to retire after his latest loss, but has well and truly shut down the prospect of hanging up his gloves.
And after having some well-deserved R&R, he's itching to make the walk to the cage again.
Ahead of his induction into the UFC Hall of Fame, Adesanya said: "Oh yeah [the itch has returned].
'I sparred with Kamaru [Usman] in Miami when Volk [Alexander Volkanovski] got his belt back.
6
Israel Adesanya has dismissed the prospect of retiring
Credit: GETTY
'And that was my first sparring back.
"I took some time out to just, you know, chill and let the brain relax.
'And yeah, I just knew straight away. So I've been itchy for a while, bro. I'm ready to go!'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
24 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Beyonce wins prestigious Emmy award for her Netflix special which drew in 27m viewers… and could even land a second
Scroll down to read more on the star's 30 MTV Awards EMMY, OH MY! Beyonce wins prestigious Emmy award for her Netflix special which drew in 27m viewers… and could even land a second SUPERSTAR Beyoncé has won her first Emmy — to go with her record haul of 35 Grammy awards. The US singer, 43, landed the prestigious TV award for Beyoncé Bowl, her Christmas Day NFL half-time show streamed by Netflix. 5 Beyonce has landed an Emmy for Beyoncé Bowl, her Christmas Day NFL half-time show streamed by Netflix Credit: Photo by Julian Dakdouk for Parkwood Entertainment 5 The broadcast, during a game between the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens, drew a peak audience of 27million Credit: Getty 5 The superstar has won 30 MTV Awards for her music Credit: Getty She will pick up the gong with her stylist, Shiona Turini, in Los Angeles on September 14. The pair designed costumes for the performance at the NRG stadium in Beyoncé's home city of Houston, Texas. The broadcast, during a game between the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens, drew a peak audience of 27million. Beyoncé performed hits from her No1 album Cowboy Carter and was joined by singers Shaboozey and Post Malone, plus her daughter Blue Ivy Carter. READ MORE ON BEYONCE BEY'S NEW BET Beyonce teases surprise move away from country music for next album Beyoncé's elusive Emmy comes after multiple nominations. And she could land a second as she is nominated for outstanding directing for a variety special, with that winner announced later. In that category she is up against her husband Jay Z, 55, who was nominated for his involvement in Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show. Beyoncé has won 30 MTV Awards for her music. As an actor, she was surprisingly overlooked for a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her performance in Dreamgirls. As well as dressing Beyoncé, Shiona decked out all musicians and dancers in Houston, and worked with designers including Dolce & Gabbana. Beyonce sends fans into a frenzy with surprise Destiny's Child reunion during final Cowboy Carter show Shiona said: 'We dressed 504 people. Our tailors who worked tirelessly, the assistants, the production assistants, everyone. 'On the tour, I don't know if we went into it knowing that there would be so many wardrobe changes but that's what happened. 'So we were working every single day to get the next show ready. I think for Bey, she had almost 150 costumes, and so with those changes, you have to have co-ordinating dancer costumes.' Shiona added: 'It's very, very collaborative, but Bey is pretty direct and knows exactly how she wants to look on a day.' 5 Bey with her award for the best contemporary R&B album in 2007 Credit: Getty
RTÉ News
2 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Biopic about the early life of Sinéad O'Connor in development
A new film telling the story of the early life and career of the late Sinéad O'Connor is in development, according to reports. Variety magazine reports that the film about the Dublin-born singer, who died in 2023 at the age of 56, s being made by Irish production company ie: entertainment, which executive produced Belfast director Kathryn Ferguson's O'Connor documentary Nothing Compares. According to Variety, the new film will explore O'Connor's early life and musical beginnings and her refusal to pander to industry expectations. It will chart her early rise to fame and her efforts to highlight the crimes committed by the Catholic Church and the Irish state. Irish production company Nine Daughters, who produced God's Creatures and Lady Macbeth and See-Saw Films (Slow Horses, The Power of the Dog) are also said to be involved in the film, which has been in the works since Nothing Compares. The film is being directed by Josephine Decker, with a script by Irish writer Stacey Gregg. Nine Daughters founder Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly and the Oscar-winning duo of Iain Canning and Emile Sherman.
Irish Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Conor McGregor net worth amid Irish presidency bid and scandals
Never far from the headlines, Conor McGregor has made plenty of news in 2025 despite not fighting in the UFC. The Dubliner hasn't fought in over four years and turned 37 last month and it seems as if his fighting career is a thing of the past. But despite his inactivity, McGregor has found himself on the front page of newspapers amid a number of scandals. Most recently, McGregor lost his appeal after Nikita Hand successfully sued McGregor in a civil court over an incident in which he was alleged to have "brutally raped and battered" her in a penthouse at a south Dublin hotel in December 2018. McGregor was ordered to pay nearly €250,000 in damages as well as approximately €1.3m in legal costs. The former two-weight UFC champion also made headlines after a number of personal life scandals. McGregor was recently snapped allegedly kissing a mystery woman on a beach while American rapper Azealia Banks shared nude photographs that she claimed McGregor sent to her. Despite the scandals, McGregor is planning on running for Irish Presidency. However, it is unlikely he will get on the ticket due to the electoral process. To be eligible for election as President, you must be an Irish citizen over the age of 35 and be nominated by at least 20 members of the Oireachtas or at least four of Ireland's 31 local authorities. McGregor is unlikely to receive that support. have had a look at McGregor's net worth and his Presidential Race odds with the bookmakers listing him as an 80/1 shot. "Conor McGregor's announcement on X has added a fresh twist to the Irish Presidential race, but even with his petition drive, the bookmaker's 80/1 odds reflect just how steep the climb is. While McGregor's fame and outspoken nature could energise younger voters, the current nomination rules mean he faces significant procedural hurdles before even making it onto the ballot," said sports betting expert Jake Ashton. Despite his absence from the sport, McGregor is one of the wealthiest athletes on the planet, with OLGB estimating his net worth at a whopping €176m. They also estimate that the average Irish person would need to work for 3,943 years to equal McGregor's net worth, while also adding that he could afford to purchase 383 properties in Dublin. Other mega-rich sports stars on the list include Lionel Messi (€749m), Tyson Fury (€141m), and Anthony Joshua (€70m).
