Dricus du Plessis invokes spirit of Nelson Mandela to bury Israel Adesanya beef

The fighter put an exclamation point on a very successful weekend for South African sport with a submission win over Adesnya to defend his middleweight belt at UFC 305 in Perth on Sunday.

The build-up to the fight was charged with tension, largely sparked by Adesanya's expletive-laden rant when du Plessis was crowned champion in January. It fueled debate over what it means to be African in a globalised world and the vitriol online was truly awful.

Things came to a head on Sunday when du Plessis choked out Adesnaya in the fourth round of a close fight, marking his first title defence and further imprint South African MMA on the map.

The Pretoria native was all class after the victory, offering an apology to Adesanya for any offence, while the former champion was gracious in defeat. The pair appeared to make up post-fight in the octagon for all to see, showing mutual respect and admiration.

Speaking at the post-fight press conference, a beat-up du Plessis reminded the media of the power of sport.

"Sport brings people together," said the 30-year-old.

"Our great father, Nelson Mandela, that was his biggest thing. He said, 'sport unites people in a way that politics can never do'. And that is a fact. 

"So what we saw in the octagon after the fight, to be able to show that while on a personal level there is no friendship, the respect is there.

"The respect I have for what he has done in the sport can't be denied. If you can't see what Israel has done in the sport and appreciate that as a warrior, you're an idiot. The man has done great things."

After the fight, the pair also gifted each other themed jackets to commemorate the occasion.

Earlier, Adesanya acknowledged that he was beaten by the better fighter and was happy that du Plessis will continue to be a trailblazer for African MMA.

"Dricus is an African champion," said the Nigerian-born fighter.

"He's gonna inspire another generation of African fighters as well. Congrats to him."

READ MORE: UFC 305: Dricus du Plessis submits Israel Adesanya to retain middleweight crown