Striking coach Michael Angove, dismissed the significance of a sparring session between Israel Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis that took place almost a decade ago.
Set to defend his middleweight title against Adesanya in a highly anticipated match, Du Plessis and Adesanya will headline the UFC 305 event at Perth’s RAC Arena in Western Australia on August 17.
The rivalry between Adesanya and Du Plessis dates back before their encounter in the Octagon at UFC 290 in July 2023. A video from 2016 at the Tiger Muay Thai training facility in Thailand captured a brief interaction between the two fighters, as Du Plessis sparred with Alexander Volkanovski.
After the video gained attention, Adesanya and Du Plessis reflected on their training session multiple times. Adesanya claimed superiority in striking, while Du Plessis insisted he dominated throughout.
However, Angove believes the past has little relevance to the present…
Angove Believes Past Training Session Won’t Impact Adesanya vs. Du Plessis Fight
In an interview with The Scrap, Angove stated that the training session from years ago is insignificant in the current context. He emphasized the growth both fighters, especially Adesanya, have undergone since then.
“It is what it is, you know, it was 10 years ago, that’s a decade,” Angove said. “What happens in the training room and all those factors, I mean, we’ve heard stories of AJ [Anthony Joshua] being knocked out in boxing. You get guys who get chinned by sparring partners, but none of that matters because so much water has gone under the bridge. You know, one training session, once, when one guy got the better of someone in one particular exchange does not mean whooped his sh*t, to be honest.”
Angove also highlighted Adesanya’s strong takedown defense against wrestlers like Yoel Romero and Derek Brunson, whereas Du Plessis was taken down by Brunson in their fight.
“Let’s not forget, Romero couldn’t hold Izzy down, couldn’t take him down. Derek Brunson couldn’t get him down, and we know that Derek took Dricus down. So, you know, time moves, and Dricus will have improved since then as well. But we don’t operate in this kind of time-free style. These guys are elite athletes who have developed so that they’re at the top of the MMA game, and that’s how we look at it.”
