Dricus Du Plessis has a handful of challengers calling for his head.
Final Combating Championship (UFC) noticed a change in Middleweight champions to kick off 2024. At UFC 297, South Africa’s Du Plessis made historical past as his nation’s first UFC champion when he dethroned Sean Strickland through break up determination (watch highlights) in January 2024. Now, Du Plessis is onto his first title protection reverse bitter rival and former two-time champion, Israel Adesanya, at UFC 305 subsequent weekend (Sat., Aug. 17, 2024).
Within the meantime, a giant Middleweight contender pairing has been rebooked as one other former champion, Robert Whittaker, will battle the undefeated 13-0 Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 on Oct. 26, 2024. Though Strickland has maintained he gained’t struggle anybody with out a title on the road in his subsequent day out, Du Plessis doesn’t see a world the place “Tarzan” leapfrogs the opposite contenders.
“Whittaker does have the 2 wins,” Du Plessis informed Shak MMA. “Strickland shouldn’t have been there within the first place, he bought it by default after which proved that he deserved to be there. In order that’s superb. The winner of Khamzat and Whittaker is gonna get the title shot. That’s gonna occur. Strickland says he’s gonna wait till he will get a title shot. He’s gonna look forward to fairly some time, in my view.
“If Whittaker beats Khamzat, he’s one hundred pc getting the title shot,” he continued. “The UFC’s been wanting to provide Khamzat a title shot since his debut. Perhaps if it’s a draw, Khamzat will nonetheless get the title shot. Let’s see if he makes it to the struggle.”
Strickland, 33, has had the thought proposed of going through one in all his fellow contenders like Whittaker (earlier than the Chimaev struggle was rebooked). Sadly for Strickland’s hopes, he doesn’t see how a win over “The Reaper” would assist show his worthiness as the highest contender.
Having overwhelmed each in his final two fights, Du Plessis can see instances for every. Finally, because the champion, “StillKnocks” will do because the followers want.
“Extra deserving? Each of them are making a case,” Du Plessis mentioned. “Whittaker, being extra lively, getting these wins, and Strickland after we fought, it was a detailed struggle. Each of them are making a case, however like I mentioned, for me, it’s concerning the struggle the followers wish to see. Which one’s going to be the most important struggle? Which one do the followers assume goes to be the most effective struggle?”
