PERTH, Australia – [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] has a counterproposal for [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] after he claimed he will return to middleweight following UFC 305.
Du Plessis (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) registered his first middleweight title defense Saturday when he submitted Israel Adesanya in the fourth round at RAC Arena. Shortly after his hand was raised, former divisional kingpin and current light heavyweight champ Pereira (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) sent a clear message that he will return to his former weight class.
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If Du Plessis was to fight Pereira, however, his preference would be for it not to happen at 185 pounds. It’s no secret Pereira cut a massive amount of weight to fight in that division, and Du Plessis thinks the Brazilian coming back down would sully a potential victory in his favor.
Because of that, Du Plessis pitched the idea of moving up to 205 pounds, where Pereira would be at optimal strength.
“I honestly don’t think Alex Pereira should drop down to 185,” Du Plessis told reporters, including MMA Junkie, post-fight at UFC 305. “If he wants to? Great. Perfect. But then we’re going to hear the excuses. I saw Izzy stiff that man in the (second) round. I felt Izzy’s punching power. Izzy has great timing. He’s fast, he’s long and he has great combinations, but I felt the power. If Izzy stiffens you like that, you do not want to be there in with me – especially not when you’re going to come with the excuse of, ‘I cut too much weight.’
“That’s going to happen. Everyone is going to say that. So stay at 205. Fight your fight against the No. 8-ranked guy, (Khalil Rountree at UFC 307). Cool. Fight your fight there and enjoy it. If (Sean) Strickland is the next fight that people want to see that fight – that’s the fight people want to see and that’s the fight people think is the next best guy – then that’s the fight that I want. So let me handle my business, you handle your business. You don’t have to cut the weight to have some sort of excuse. I’ll come up after the Strickland fight. I’ll come up to 205 and we’ll sort it out there.”
Du Plessis, 30, said he’s not looking to escape the middleweight division and knows he has much work to do. He has significant ambitions for greatness under the UFC banner, but if the members of the promotional brass are open to a matchup between Pereira and him, he gladly would jump up to take the opportunity to become a two-weight champion.
“If that’s what the UFC wants, I’ll be ready for it,” Du Plessis said. “I’ll be ready for it right now, but I’m not chasing that. I believe to be considered as the greatest to ever do this sport, I need to be considered as the greatest middleweight, first. I’m the first guy to beat Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker. I’ve beat three of the top 20 pound-for-pound fighters, so can I please get back in the top 10? I beat Strickland, I beat Whittaker and I beat Adesanya. I haven’t been on social media, but I can’t wait to see what the critics say now.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 305.