Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has expressed interest in 8-ranked middleweight Dricus du Plessis, revealing that he tried to book the fight at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas but the UFC turned it down. Adesanya wants to settle his personal beef with du Plessis, who is set to face former champion Robert Whittaker in a No. 1 contender matchup at UFC 290 in July.

While Adesanya believes Whittaker has a 70% chance of winning, he is still keen on facing du Plessis, as it would be a fresh matchup for him. Adesanya is looking to defend his title at the UFC 293 card in September in Sydney and is willing to give Whittaker home field advantage if he wins against du Plessis and is ready for a quick turnaround.