Dricus Du Plessis hugs Israel Adesanya’s parents backstage at UFC 305

UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis had nothing but kind words for the parents of defeated opponent Israel Adesanya last weekend.

The pair appeared to have one of the most heated rivalries seen on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage this year, centered on Du Plessis’ controversial comments last year about becoming Africa’s first champion.

After setting the stage for a tense UFC 305 fight week and some emotional press conference exchanges, “The Last Stylebender” and “Stillknocks” battled it out in the main event, with the latter finding a submission in the fourth round.

The two rivals quickly patched things up inside the Octagon, showing immense respect for each other following an exciting and competitive headliner. And that trend continued backstage at the RAC Arena, where the families of both fighters embraced.

Du Plessis, Adesanya families enjoy respectful interaction after fight

Footage captured by MMA Junkie shortly after UFC 305 showed Du Plessis and Adesanya catching up backstage, with the champion presenting the Nigerian-born New Zealander with a custom South Africa-themed jacket.

While Adesanya shared a few words with his victorious opponent’s family and coach, Du Plessis interacted with the former two-time title holder’s parents, thanking them both for “raising a warrior”.