In the ongoing rivalry between Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya, a prominent South African actor has weighed in on the debate, siding with du Plessis. Thabo Rametsi, a well-regarded South African actor and film producer, has offered his perspective on the specifics of this feud.
During a recent press conference to discuss their looming middleweight title fight, Adesanya referenced how he felt du Plessis previously tried to discredit “the three kings,” which referred to a trio of African champions at the time, including Adesanya, Kamaru Usman at welterweight, and Francis Ngannou at heavyweight. However, du Plessis claimed there were no tensions with Adesanya and refuted the idea that he ever discredited any of those titleholders.
Rametsi, who identifies as a black South African, shared his views on the matter. He commented, “Funny enough I don’t think DDPs comments were meant to allude race at all. The world made it about race. He simply said of all those guys he was the only one to go out and win the championship being and training solely in Africa. Which is true. It’s just a fact. He trains, lives, and returns to Africa after every fight. None of the three kings even learned or trained MMA or any martial in Africa (except Francis with boxing). DDP isn’t wrong at all.”
Rametsi’s statement provides an interesting perspective on the ongoing debate. He suggests that du Plessis’ comments were not intended to be racially charged, but rather a simple acknowledgment of the fact that he is the only one among the “three kings” who has trained and competed solely in Africa. Rametsi emphasizes that this is just a factual statement and does not believe du Plessis was wrong in his assessment.
The tension between du Plessis and Adesanya has been a topic of discussion, with the former champion of 185 pounds stating that there is always a level of tension when you step into the cage with someone. Adesanya also referenced a session at Tiger Muay Thai where he seemed to intimate that the two combatants had sparred in the past, hinting at the origins of their rivalry.
As the two fighters prepare to face off in their upcoming middleweight title fight, the debate surrounding their rivalry continues to unfold. Rametsi’s perspective, as a prominent South African actor, adds an interesting layer to the discussion and suggests that the issue may not be as racially charged as some have perceived it to be.
