Tag: Dricus du Plessis

Dricus Du Plessis open to UFC 300 if healthy but thinks Israel Adesanya is ‘perfect fight’ for UFC Africa

UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis really wants the Israel Adesanya fight to happen in Africa.

UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] thinks the [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] fight has to happen in Africa.

After claiming the middleweight title with a split decision win over Sean Strickland this past Saturday at UFC 297, Du Plessis (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) reignited his feud with Adesanya (24-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) by calling him out.

UFC 300 would be a marquee event for their grudge match, but Du Plessis isn’t sure if he could turn around for the April 13 card in time.

“Nothing is certain yet, but that is what we want to do,” Du Plessis told eNCA and other reporters during a press conference upon his return home. “UFC 300 is a big possibility if my body allows it. I took some punishment obviously with some small injuries.

“I’m not 100 percent sure what the gravity of those injuries are. I’m going to the doctor after this and making sure concussion tests are done, making sure we do the scans, making sure that there’s nothing serious injured. Then UFC 300 is a big, big possibility.”

Du Plessis was expected to face Adesanya when “The Last Stylebender” was still middleweight champ, which led to their heated face off at UFC 290. However, the fight never materialized after Strickland stepped up to face Adesanya instead and upset him at UFC 293.

Considering their African roots, Du Plessis would love to settle the score with Adesanya at home.

“I have to be honest with you,” Du Plessis said. “If UFC Africa is going to happen, you’re going to look very far beyond to find a more perfect fight than me vs. Israel Adesanya and that’s a fight I want right here on home soil where he said he wants to make it happen.”

 

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

Video: Incredible scenes show UFC champ Dricus Du Plessis receive hero’s welcome in South Africa

Newly crowned UFC champ Dricus Du Plessis has put South African MMA on the map in a major way, and the fans there love it.

[autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] has put South African MMA on the map in a major way.

Du Plessis (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) outlasted Sean Strickland in this past Saturday’s UFC 297 headliner to claim the middleweight title. The former two-division EFC champion became South Africa’s first UFC champion and only the fourth African champ in company history.

Check out the reception Du Plessis received when he landed at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park as a massive amount of fans gathered to cheer him on and chant his name (via eNCA).

And here’s an incredible point-of-view angle of fans greeting Du Plessis:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C2g3mP0oTJW/

After beating Strickland, Du Plessis turned his attention to former champion Israel Adesanya, whom he was previously on a collision course with.

“There was another guy who tried to take my shine,” Du Plessis said in his post-fight interview in the octagon. “He lost his shine. Now, I have your shine. You didn’t get into the cage tonight, but Israel Adesanya, get your ass back in the UFC so we can settle the score.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.

Henry Cejudo: UFC champ Dricus Du Plessis should tell Israel Adesanya to ‘take a hike’

Henry Cejudo advises Dricus Du Plessis to go after fellow UFC champ Alex Pereira, not Israel Adesanya.

[autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] advises [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] to go after [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag], not [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag].

During the UFC 297 pre-fight news conference, Du Plessis (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) expressed interest in eventually moving up to light heavyweight to face champion Pereira (9-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) if he were to beat Sean Strickland and win the middleweight title.

Du Plessis dethroned Strickland to claim the belt in this past Saturday’s headliner but turned his attention to former champ Adesanya (24-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC). Cejudo thinks that was a mistake and that Du Plessis should try and lure Pereira back down to middleweight.

“I say you make Israel Adesanya take a hike,” Cejudo said on his YouTube channel. “I say you make Israel Adesanya maybe fight somebody before he actually fights you and actually take the fight that really matters more for your accolades, and his name is Alex Pereira. Alex Pereira is a really big middleweight, that the fact that he went up to light heavyweight and still looks bigger than all those dudes as well.

“But that being said, him coming down to 185 pounds once again, and if you get a victory over a guy like Alex Pereira, you know what that guarantees you? That guarantees you a title shot at 205 pounds. Why do I say that? Why do I say pick Alex Pereira? You know why? Because Israel Adesanya will always be there. Alex Pereira, who knows, man? He goes up against (Magomed) Ankalaev, I’m not sure if he could beat Ankalaev.”

Cejudo pointed to himself as an example when he was in pursuit of dual-champ status, which he successfully achieved.

“If he’s talking about going back down one more time at 185 pounds, you welcome him,” Cejudo said. “You welcome him because once you get that victory, you know what that does to you? That allows you to go up and challenge the guy at 205 pounds. That’s what happened to me the first time when I beat Demetrious Johnson. Demetrious Johnson didn’t want to fight T.J. Dillashaw. You know what I did? I stole that storyline.”

Despite Pereira’s size, Cejudo doesn’t count out Du Plessis’ chances against him.

“If I’m in your position right now, you know what I do to Israel Adesanya, take a hike,” Cejudo said. “Wait for me until 2027 like you said you wanted to retire. Bring out Alex Pereira. Allow me to beat up the face of the UFC, and it guarantees you Dricus Du Plessis another title shot at 205 pounds. Your wrestling is probably going to overwhelm him unless you allow him to kick you, which I don’t think you will. Plus, you have kicks of your own too out of southpaw.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.

Robert Whittaker: Dricus Du Plessis ‘wanted it more’ than Sean Strickland at UFC 297, outcome not controversial

Robert Whittaker disagrees with the notion that there’s controversy surrounding the UFC 297 headliner.

[autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] disagrees with the notion that there’s controversy surrounding the UFC 297 headliner.

[autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) edged out [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) by split decision to claim the middleweight title Saturday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

The likes of UFC CEO Dana White and Joe Rogan had Strickland winning, but Whittaker scored Rounds 2,3,4 and 5 for Du Plessis. He credits Du Plessis for outlasting Strickland in a battle that left both fighters marked up.

“I don’t know why it’s controversial,” Whittaker said on his MMArcade Podcast. “I’ve seen a lot of other fighters and even Dana White himself saying he didn’t think he won the fight. In my opinion, I thought he won the fight. I don’t like blurring the lines, but I will say congratulations to Dricus because he wanted it. … I said he’s a big, strong guy, and he’s awkward as hell to fight.

“But one of his things is he goes out on his shield. He’s not going to go away. He will not give up. He’ll need to leave that octagon on a stretcher, and that’s exactly what he did. That’s exactly what he showed. I will say congratulations to the new champ because he wanted it more.”

Whittaker’s (25-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) most recent loss came to Du Plessis by TKO at UFC 290 in what was considered a big upset. The former champion admits he underestimated Du Plessis.

“Seeing that fight from him, it made me realize that I did not prepare adequately for him,” Whittaker said. “I did not give him the respect he deserved. I understand he was a hard and tough fighter, but I don’t think I understood how tough and strong and hungry he really was, and respect to that. I won’t make that mistake again.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.

USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, Jan. 23: Dricus Du Plessis, Raquel Pennington take No. 1 spots

Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings following UFC 297 in Toronto.

The UFC’s first pay-per-view event of 2024 in Toronto produced a few moves in this week’s rankings update.

At UFC 297, two new champions were crowned at Scotiabank Arena, as Dricus Du Plessis and Raquel Pennington claimed gold.

In the main event, Du Plessis became the middleweight champion by defeating Sean Strickland in a close split decision. Entering the event as the No. 4 middleweight in the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie divisional rankings, Du Plessis jumps up to No. 1 after winning the title. He also takes the No. 8 spot in the men’s pound-for-pound rankings.

In the co-feature, Pennington became the women’s bantamweight champion by winning a unanimous decision against Mayra Bueno Silva. Pennington climbs one spot to take No. 1 as the new champ. She also makes a move on the women’s P4P list, settling in at No. 7.

Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.

Video: Dricus Du Plessis changed the UFC middleweight landscape. So, who’s next?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” discusses Dricus Du Plessis’ title win at UFC 297 and who should be his first title challenger.

The UFC’s middleweight division has a new champion in [autotag] Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag].

The South African claimed gold by edging out a split decision over Sean Strickland in the UFC 297 main event in Toronto. It was a razor-thin fight, with many believing either fighter should have walked out of Scotiabank Arena with the title.

Du Plessis got the nod, and now it’s time to look at who he will share the octagon with for his first title defense. Should the UFC run it back with Strickland or is it time to settle things with Israel Adesanya?

That’s what our “Spinning Back Clique” of Mike Bohn, Matthew Wells, and Brian “Goze” Garcia discussed along with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

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You can watch their discussion in the video above, and check out this week’s episode below on YouTube or in podcast form.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.

Michael Bisping: Just fighting behind jab cost Sean Strickland in UFC 297 loss to Dricus Du Plessis

Michael Bisping thinks Sean Strickland needed to diversify his offense at UFC 297.

[autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] needed to diversify his offense at UFC 297.

Strickland (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) lost his middleweight title to [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) by split decision in Saturday’s main event at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. Strickland’s jab allowed him to dictate the pace in Round 1, but Bisping wanted to see him put together more combinations. He scored the fight for Du Plessis.

“Now for Sean Strickland, OK, he went out and he had a great fight, but he lost,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “He fought predominantly behind the jab. I spoke about this on my instant reaction. Sean has great takedown defense, great jiu-jitsu, beautiful striking, and of course the jab is one of the best in mixed martial arts.

“It’s very fast, it’s piercing, it’s accurate, and it’s powerful. Look at the face of Dricus. But, he needs to add to that. It’s not enough, and I do feel that just fighting behind the jab was kind of what got Dricus the decision. Throwing the big kicks, throwing the head kicks, the body kicks and swinging and going forward, being the aggressor.”

Strickland later complained about an inadvertent headbutt that split him open and impaired his vision. Bisping thinks Du Plessis’ forward pressure swayed the judges in his favor.

“The three D’s, that’s how you score a fight: damage, duration, dominance,” Bisping continued. “And if it’s all even, they look at other things like octagon control and the visual of Dricus going forward, swinging, throwing head kicks, and stuff like that skews the opinion.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.

Chael Sonnen makes case that Sean Strickland ‘lost every round’ to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297

Chael Sonnen was in shock to find out that both Dana White and Joe Rogan scored the UFC 297 headliner for Sean Strickland.

[autotag]Chael Sonnen[/autotag] argues that [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] swept the scorecards at UFC 297.

Du Plessis (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) defeated [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) by split decision to claim the middleweight title in Saturday’s headliner at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

Strickland thought he was robbed, and the likes of UFC CEO Dana White and Joe Rogan also scored the fight in his favor. But as much as Sonnen was rooting for Strickland, he thinks it was a clear win for Du Plessis.

“When I have a bias, I disclose it to you guys. I disclose it, and I still try to be impartial,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. “So, I’m cheering for Sean. Sean and Colby, those are my guys; it’s different. I get a knot in my stomach; it’s different. So, we lost every round. We lost every round of the fight.”

Sonnen figured the judges would award Strickland the fifth round, but he’s not entirely convinced himself. Outside of that, he had all rounds for Du Plessis.

“In my heart, I think it was 5-0,” Sonnen said. “With a real bias for Strickland, it was 5-0, and in the absolute best case 4-1. I think the crowd for the most part agree with me.”

Sonnen was stunned that the fight was scored a split decision. He was even more confused when he saw other’s opinions.

“My bigger surprise was when all was said and done, Joe Rogan, who definitely qualifies as an expert in this space, Dana White, who definitely qualifies as an expert in this space, both had Strickland,” Sonnen said. “They both had Strickland. I thought, ‘Did we watch the same thing?'”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.

Sean Strickland’s coach reacts to Dricus Du Plessis loss at UFC 297: ‘We needed to win the optics battle’

Eric Nicksick thought Sean Strickland did enough to win at UFC 297, but it just didn’t look that way.

[autotag]Eric Nicksick[/autotag] thought [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] did enough to win at UFC 297.

Strickland (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) lost his middleweight title in a narrow split decision loss to [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in Saturday’s main event at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

Strickland’s head coach Nicksick was classy in his reaction to Du Plessis’ win. His initial thought is that his fighter won, but he plans on reassessing later.

“Congratulations to @dricusduplessis and his team. I never met a more classy opposing fighter during fight week, along with the skills to back it up. I’m happy for you, your team, and your country, you made them proud.

The fight was close. Close fights mean we needed to win the optics battle. Live, I had us winning 1,2, & 5, but all that matters are the 3 cage side. I’ll watch it again, to see where we/I can be better. Much love to everyone who supported us. On to the next!! #TTD ⚡︎

https://www.instagram.com/p/C2Xv4j5Ok7b/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=673c7431-dee9-4b16-836c-c724bd60cd2c

Strickland also thought he won the fight. He pointed to an alleged accidental clash of heads he said busted him open and impaired his vision. He was able to fight through it and won Round 5 on all three judges’ scorecards. In his post-fight news conference, Du Plessis could not remember a head clash, and no definitive clash was shown on any broadcast replays.

Du Plessis responded to Nicksick, showing him gratitude for his praise.

“Thank you so much for the kind words coach, you and the team are incredible and it was an honour to battle the best in the business. Thank you for the war and the true warrior like respect before and after the war.”

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Daniel Cormier praises Dricus Du Plessis’ performance at UFC 297, admits he never thought he would be champion

Dricus Du Plessis surpassed Daniel Cormier’s expectations.

[autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] surpassed [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag]’s expectations.

Du Plessis (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) dethroned Sean Strickland (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) by split decision to become middleweight champion in Saturday’s UFC 297 headliner at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

Looking at the landscape at 185 pounds, Cormier is surprised to see Du Plessis on the throne. The South African fighter is unbeaten in the octagon.

“The amount of fight parties they had in South Africa to watch this guy is crazy,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “The entire country exploded when he became champion. I’ll tell you this: I never thought that we’d be here today where Dricus Du Plessis is the middleweight champion of the world. I didn’t know, but as he told me earlier in the weekend, as I now understand, he does things his own way.

“I am learning, even though I’ve been in this game for a long time, that all mixed martial arts doesn’t look the same. Sometimes it looks different, and Dricus Du Plessis looks different. But, as I now have gained an appreciation for his style, I know what it looks like to me now. It looks like a champion of the world, because that’s exactly what Dricus is.”

Du Plessis challenged former champion Israel Adesanya after the fight. Considering their history, Cormier thinks it’s the fight to make.

“I’m very interested to see what happens next, though,” Cormier said. “I want to see if they try to turn him around for UFC 300 to maybe fight (Khamzat) Chimaev or maybe fight (Israel) Adesanya. After that uncomfortable interaction inside the octagon with Adesanya, I’m all in on that one.

“I know there are going to be a lot of people that go, ‘Why would Izzy deserve a championship opportunity?’ Well, sometimes it’s about the story and Izzy and Dricus have a story that’s already written. I’m also interested to see what happens to Sean Strickland now as he tries to rebuild himself into a championship contender or a UFC champion once again.”

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