MMA
Israel Adesanya's team hints at vintage performance against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305
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Since being shocked in a unanimous decision upset loss to Sean Strickland in September, Israel Adesanya has had nearly a year to look within.
"I've done a lot of self-reflection," the former two-time middleweight world champion says in the recent "UFC 305 Countdown."
"Ups, downs, smiles and frowns, beautiful, ugly, everything," he continued. "I've gone through it all. A lot of honest reviews with myself and I feel like I'm maintaining peace."
That peace could turn to chaos when he challenges current middleweight world champion Dricus Du Plessis in the headliner of UFC 305 this weekend.
Although "maintaining peace" is his mental approach, Adesanya might dip into his past for his physical game plan.
"I don't think we're necessarily going to see an evolution. But we're just going to see the old Israel and some of the old tricks that we're pulling out of the bag," Adesanya's head coach Eugene Bareman vowed. "Some of that stuff we've put by the wayside, mainly because of the opponents we've been facing, but we need to pull some of those tricks out of the bag again.
"And bring back some parts of his game that are still there ... it just needs to be refined and polished up and brought back into his arsenal.
"The No. 1 thing is always going to be his mindset," he tacked on. "Izzy doesn't think for a second that he's not the best fighter in the world. It's always going to be his mindset that makes him dangerous."
The 35-year-old plans on showing just that via a vintage striking performance against Du Plessis.
"I'm enjoying the journey, the process to get to the Octagon," Adesanya also said in the clip. "Giving my best, having fun, I'm the best in the world and I plan on being the best in the world that night."
He added that it's not simply about being crowned a three-time middleweight world champion that's driving him but instead simply beating Du Plessis as tensions have grown personal.
"It's about beating Dricus, South Africa's finest, go in there, make it look easy," Adesanya offered. "I'll show him who he is. I'll remind him who he is. He started this, I'll finish it."
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