Dricus Du Plessis: Israel Adesanya sees me as a champion already

The South African mixed martial artist beat second-ranked Robert Whittaker at UFC 290 last weekend to move a step closer to facing the middleweight champion later this year. 

Following his victory, Adesanya stepped into the cage for a face off that’s since gone viral and wet the appetite for when their middleweight bout is scheduled. 

"The only thing I made of that is [that] usually [it is] the contender going into the cage [that makes the most noise]. So, even he sees me as the champion already," said Du Plessis.

"So, he better know I'm the champion, and now that he's seen me in that cage, he knows what a force I am in there and he could feel the energy, and I could feel how insignificant he is to me when we do get into the cage [at UFC 292].

"He could see what a lot of people failed to see, and that is a style that people are used to. People are used to certain styles, they don't know our style, they don't know how we put this whole thing together, and he [Adasanya] saw that.

"That's why he said I'm the most dangerous opponent he's ever faced, that's why he said one mistake he made was to think I don't have anything to lose.

"And I didn't fight like somebody who doesn't have anything to lose, I fought like somebody who fought like somebody with everything to lose.

"Every time I step in there [the octagon], I have my life to lose and I'll protect that with everything; I have my family name, the Du Plessis name, to protect when I step in there; I have the South African flag to protect when I step in there."