MMA News

Tag: Dricus Du Plessis

  • South Africa’s Sports Minister Says Dricus Du Plessis-Headlined UFC Event In ‘Final Stages Of Negotiations’

    South Africa’s Sports Minister Says Dricus Du Plessis-Headlined UFC Event In ‘Final Stages Of Negotiations’

    South African sports minister Gayton McKenzie recently revealed that negotiations are underway for a potential UFC event in Cape Town, with Dricus Du Plessis slated to headline.

    The reigning UFC middleweight champion has been very adamant in his push to bring the promotion to his homeland of South Africa for the first time. His campaign gained momentum after he secured the title with a hard-fought split decision victory over former champion Sean Strickland at UFC 297 this past January.

    The push for the event seemed to lose steam as the UFC had already locked in most of its venues for the upcoming quarter. However, the topic gained traction again before UFC 305 last month when UFC CEO Dana White hinted that if ‘Stillknocks’ could defeat fellow African star Israel Adesanya, the promotion would seriously consider bringing an event to South Africa.

    With Du Plessis’ impressive submission victory over “The Last Stylebender,” it seems his wish is finally coming to fruition. Positive developments have been steadily aligning, especially after White, during the Noche UFC 306 post-fight press conference, confirmed that he’s “very serious” about hosting a UFC event in Africa.

    McKenzie Confirms Du Plessis As Headliner For Potential UFC Africa Event, Host City Remains Up In The Air

    According to multiple media reports, the DHL Stadium in Cape Town is in talks to construct a temporary roof at an estimated cost of R30 million (around $1.7 million) in preparation for hosting a UFC event in 2025. The 55,000-seat arena was one of the flagship venues during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

    Following these reports, the South African sports minister recently took to X to acknowledge that they are on the brink of sealing the deal to bring Du Plessis’ next fight to Africa. However, he also noted that the choice of host city is yet to be finalized.

    “I see news articles about @UFCfight of @dricusduplessis happening in Cape Town,” McKenzie tweeted. “We are in the final stages of negotiating for the fight to happen in South Africa. We have not been given the green light. We will know by the end of October, no decision of hosting city can be made yet.”

    With the host city still up in the air, the question of who ‘Stillknocks’ will face in his next title defense remains equally uncertain. Rumors are circulating, with some hinting at a possible rematch against Strickland.

    Alternatively, Du Plessis has also suggested moving up a weight class to challenge reigning UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira — or perhaps Pereira could move down to face him, a possibility he himself has hinted at.

    However, “Poatan” is already scheduled to defend his light heavyweight crown against Khalil Rountree in the main event of UFC 307 on October 5. Only time will reveal who will ultimately stand across from Du Plessis in the Octagon at the much-anticipated showdown on African soil.

  • South Africa Reportedly Planning $1.7 Million Stadium Renovation To Host Dricus Du Plessis UFC Title Fight

    South Africa Reportedly Planning $1.7 Million Stadium Renovation To Host Dricus Du Plessis UFC Title Fight

    In his post-fight press conference after UFC 306, Dana White once again stressed that finally bringing the Octagon to Africa is a big priority for the promotion.

    Hosting events in new locations is never an easy process for the MMA leader, but when you have a champion like Dricus Du Plessis, where there is a will, there is a way.

    The reaction that the middleweight champion received after his title-winning performance at UFC 297 really got the ball rolling.

    It’s clear that there would be huge interest in seeing the Octagon touch down in South Africa with Du Plessis headlining the show, but the logistics of making it happen is where issues occur.

    The biggest hurdle to get past when looking at stadium shows is the weather, something White has long cited when pushing back on such events. However, it looks like Cape Town Stadium are ready to make some sizable investments to remove this barrier to entry…

    Mayor Of Cape Town Reveals Proposal To Build Temporary Roof Over Cape Town Stadium

    The Executive Major of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis, recently spoke about plans to build a temporary roof in order to bring the UFC to the stadium.

    In an interview with Cape Talk, Hill-Lewis said that he expects things to move relatively quickly.

    “We’ve said to the national government, the minister (Gayton McKenzie), that we think we could do it absolutely soon, sometime around March next year. But we would need confirmation quite soon so that we could get cracking.” (h/t IOL)

    Though there are other venues that could host a major UFC event, they simply don’t have the capacity of the 55,000 seater that was built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

    Hill-Lewis approximated that it would take around two months to build and would cost upwards of R30m (around $1.7 million).

    There has been some pushback from other figures, such as the founder of lobby group Stop CoCT Sandra Dickson, who have criticized whether it’s necessary to do this rather than hosting it another venue, calling the plan “a limited short-term and temporary solution.”

    Dricus Du Plessis & Robert Whittaker
    Image: Chris Unger/UFC/Zuffa LLC
  • UFC Rankings Report: Dvalishvili Lands Above Aspinall In P4P Top 10, Muhammad Jumps Du Plessis

    UFC Rankings Report: Dvalishvili Lands Above Aspinall In P4P Top 10, Muhammad Jumps Du Plessis

    As always, the latest action on offer inside the Octagon has seen some climb the ladder toward contention and others fall away.

    And in the aftermath of UFC 306 (Noche UFC), MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings.

    Men’s Pound-For-Pound: Merab Dvalishvili closed out Saturday’s event with his long-awaited championship crowning. As a result, the bantamweight kingpin has debuted on the P4P list at #7, one position above interim heavyweight titleholder Tom Aspinall. Further up, welterweight champ Belal Muhammad (#5) has jumped his middleweight counterpart Dricus Du Plessis (#6).

    The defeated O’Malley, meanwhile, has slid seven positions to #13. Dvalishvili’s friend and teammate Aljamain Sterling is out of the top 15 entirely following the Georgian’s arrival.

    Women’s Pound-for-Pound: Valentina Shevchenko is once again the flyweight queen, and she’s also back on the P4P mountaintop. “Bullet” has climbed two places back to top spot, while previous #1 Alexa Grasso has fallen to #3 following her lopsided loss to Shevchenko in their trilogy.

    Women’s Strawweight: No changes.

    Women’s Flyweight: The sole change at 125 pounds has seen Grasso slip back to top contender status, swapping positions with now-champ Shevchenko.

    Women’s Bantamweight: Norma Dumont secured the biggest win of her career in the Noche UFC featured prelim, outpointing a badly damaged Irene Aldana. The result has seen the Brazilian ascend by three positions to #5 at 135 pounds. The defeated Mexican, on the other hand, is down just one spot to #6.

    Flyweight: In the male 125-pound weight class, Asu Almabayev has moved up one place to share #14 with the recently retired Matt Schnell.

    Bantamweight: Like in the women’s flyweight division, the only change in the men’s 135-pound division came with the switch on the throne. With Dvalishvili now occupying it, O’Malley is the #1-ranked bantamweight.

    Featherweight: The biggest climber this week is the charging Diego Lopes, who got the better of former two-time title challenger and longtime top-five contender Brian Ortega on Saturday night. The Mexico-residing Brazilian has risen by a mammoth 10 positions to #3. “T-City,” meanwhile, has been relegated to #5.

    With Movsar Evloev staying put at #6, the changes have led to a two-place fall to #7 for Arnold Allen.

    Lightweight: No changes.

    Welterweight: No changes.

    Middleweight: No changes.

    Light Heavyweight: No changes.

    Heavyweight: No changes.

    You can view the full updated UFC rankings here.

  • Robert Whittaker: You Have To Match Dricus Du Plessis’ ‘Superpower’ To Beat Him

    Robert Whittaker: You Have To Match Dricus Du Plessis’ ‘Superpower’ To Beat Him

    Robert Whittaker recently showered Dricus Du Plessis with praise, commending his fierce mentality and determination to secure victories in the Octagon.

    At UFC 305 last month, Du Plessis successfully defended his middleweight crown for the first time, securing a stunning fourth-round submission victory over former champion Israel Adesanya—a win that Whittaker had confidently predicted beforehand.

    “The Reaper” is no stranger to Du Plessis. The 33-year-old Aussie clashed with “Stillknocks” at UFC 290 in July 2023, where Du Plessis stopped him in the second round. Before that bout, Whittaker had an impeccable 12-0 record in the UFC’s 185-pound division against everyone except Adesanya, to whom he had fallen twice.

    Whittaker is now preparing for a high-stakes showdown against Khamzat Chimaev in a five-round middleweight clash, serving as the co-main event of UFC 308. The bout is set for October 26 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

    The victor of this matchup is expected to earn a title shot against Du Plessis, and Whittaker is focused on sharpening his skills, determined to first conquer “Borz” and then settle the score with the South African…

    Whittaker On Du Plessis’ Toughness: ‘He’s Literally Willing To Die Out There’

    During a recent interview with mainevent, “The Reaper” opened up about his preparations for his upcoming showdown with Chimaev. The former middleweight champion revealed that he’s working hard to refine all aspects of his game, whether it’s striking or wrestling, as he aims to be more well-rounded than ever before.

    “My striking is only getting better,” Whittaker said. “You can believe that every second you don’t see me in a ring or in an Octagon striking, I’m out there—I’m on the mat wrestling. Like, I’m constantly wrestling, I’m constantly grinding, and I’m perfecting myself. I’m really looking to come into this next fight as the best version of myself, with every box ticked.”

    Whittaker also weighed in on Du Plessis’ victory over Adesanya, offering insight into what sets “Stillknocks” apart. He noted that while Du Plessis boasts an unorthodox fighting style, it’s his ironclad mentality and toughness that truly drives his success in the cage.

    “I think he’s got a really solid headspace and mentality for winning fights. I think that’s like his superpower because he’s an awkward dude, he obviously hits really hard, and he’s tough as nails. But I think all of that stems from his relentlessness mentally. He’s literally willing to die out there, and I think if you don’t match that mentality, if you don’t come into the Octagon with the same headspace, you’re not going to take it from him.”

    Whittaker is riding a wave of momentum with consecutive dominant victories over Paulo Costa and Ikram Aliskerov. Now, he’s setting his sights on delivering a statement performance against Chimaev, hoping to solidify his position as the next in line to challenge Du Plessis for the title.

  • Chael Sonnen Exposes Alex Pereira’s ‘Condescending Big Brother Play’ Against Israel Adesanya By Calling Out Dricus Du Plessis

    Chael Sonnen Exposes Alex Pereira’s ‘Condescending Big Brother Play’ Against Israel Adesanya By Calling Out Dricus Du Plessis

    Dricus Du Plessis became the first fighter to submit Israel Adesanya at UFC 305. Soon after, former kingpin Alex Pereira teased his return to the middleweight division. For any of this to become reality, “Poatan” naturally needs to beat Khalil Rountree at UFC 307 first.

    Fans and Dana White have acknowledged Pereira’s plans to move down a weight class. The CEO is impressed by the UFC light heavyweight champion’s willingness to fight wherever, whenever, and whoever. He claimed that this trait makes Pereira such a massive star.

    However, Chael Sonnen believes that Pereira calling out Du Plessis is not personal but more about gaining an indirect edge over Israel Adesanya…

    Chael Sonnen Sees Alex Pereira Defeating Dricus Du Plessis As ‘Final Nail In The Coffin Of His Rivalry With Adesanya’

    In the latest episode of Good Guy / Bad Guy on the ESPN MMA YouTube channel, Daniel Cormier and Sonnen discussed how likely Pereira is to move down to middleweight. Both hosts think that Du Plessis coming up to light heavyweight for this fight makes far more sense.

    “Like, if you’re seeking a championship and you could have it at 205 pounds, 185 is beneath you and not to mention, DDP could have laughed this off and said, wait a minute, you’re telling me the guy knocked out by the guy that I just finished in the third round is threatening to come back to a division that he already ran away from. Come on down, I mean, because, no, this is never going to happen. Alex was not sincere, now he is sincerely tough and he will fight anybody but he can’t make 185 pounds.”

    The former UFC heavyweight champ highlighted that “Poatan” won’t be at his best because of the brutal weight cut for middleweight. On top of that, Du Plessis should not be overlooked as his unconventional style has done wonders until now.

    According to “The American Gangster”, Pereira’s potential return to middleweight is unrelated to UFC gold. Instead, he aims to get a win over the fighter who just beat Adesanya, arguably the most important rival of his career.

    “Make sure you don’t miss the play here. Like, Alex is tough and he will fight anybody but the play here was a final nail in the coffin of his rivalry with Adesanya. This was a big brother play. This was to be condescending. This was to say, you couldn’t deal, hey, big brother’s got your back.”

    Interestingly, alongside three wins over “The Last Stylebender” across kickboxing and MMA, Pereira has defeated Sean Strickland and Jan Blachowicz who’ve beaten Adesanya previously.

    Cormier and Sonnen also highlighted that Du Plessis’ strong wrestling and Pereira’s reduced power at middleweight could also work against the latter. For all these reasons, he should avoid moving down a weight class and continue racking up title defenses at light heavyweight where he’s been knocking out most opponents with ease.

  • ‘Colby Covington With An Afrikaans Accent’ – MMA Fans Hammer Du Plessis After He Proposes Pereira vs. Strickland Title Eliminator

    ‘Colby Covington With An Afrikaans Accent’ – MMA Fans Hammer Du Plessis After He Proposes Pereira vs. Strickland Title Eliminator

    UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis could well have his next two title defenses already laid out in front of him if he keeps hold of the belt.

    After earning his first successful defense by submitting Israel Adesanya at UFC 305, a rematch is seemingly on the cards for his new challenge.

    Sean Strickland and Du Plessis fought to a very close split decision at UFC 297 to kick off the year where “Stillknocks” became champion.

    However, another challenger looms overhead at this time as Alex Pereira is apparently planning to move back down to middleweight for one more fight, after his light heavyweight title defense at UFC 307.

    Given the fact that Strickland and Pereira have become friends after they met inside the Octagon at UFC 276, Du Plessis suggested that they should fight each other for the number one contender status rather than challenging him one after the other.

    MMA Fans React To Dricus Du Plessis Calling The Middleweight Shots

    The fans on social media didn’t respond well to Du Plessis’ call for Strickland and Pereira to run it back, which isn’t necessarily surprising given the large and vocal fan bases of both fighters.

    Though some were complimenting the champion’s trash talk, many didn’t see why “Poatan” would possibly fight anyone but the titleholder at this stage.

    “Makes literally no sense. Alex would immediately get a title shot if he wanted being he’s the champ and has already been the MW champ before. Silly to even say this”

    “New champions always talk like they run the UFC. It’s f***** annoying.”

    “alex and a contender fight do not go together”

    “DDP just says stupid s*** and idiots eat it up. He’s Colby Covington with an Afrikaans accent.”

    https://twitter.com/tony2studs/status/1830952520522621286

    “Bro is scared af. There’s absolutely no reason alex should be fighting Sean lmao”

    “Damn dricus low key a decent s*** talker”

    “doesnt make sense considering that Pereira is a champ who already beat strickland”

    https://twitter.com/RawEggBrah/status/1831261874941317135

    Read also: Demetrious Johnson Gives Stamp Of Approval To UFC Champion

  • Alex Pereira Reiterates Plan For Middleweight Return Post-UFC 307, Magomed Ankalaev Reacts With Anger

    Alex Pereira Reiterates Plan For Middleweight Return Post-UFC 307, Magomed Ankalaev Reacts With Anger

    It would appear that UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira’s middleweight tease last month was not a spur-of-the-moment decision.

    Pereira’s first taste of title success on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage came at 185 pounds, where he unseated Israel Adesanya in late 2022. Having fallen short in his first defense, “Poatan” bid farewell to the division and ventured up to 205 pounds.

    Since then, the Brazilian has tasted nothing but success, capturing the light heavyweight gold in his sophomore outing in the division last year and recording two successful defenses at the expense of Jamahal Hill and Jiří Procházka this year.

    Pereira’s next task will be dispatching the third challenger to his current reign, with the former Glory Kickboxing champion set to headline UFC 307 in Salt Lake City against Khalil Rountree early next month.

    But defeating “The War Horse” isn’t the only thing on Pereira’s mind.

    Prior to his next matchup being announced, “Poatan” teased a surprise return to middleweight, calling out champ Dricus Du Plessis in the immediate aftermath of his victory over Adesanya at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia in August.

    Despite having business to attend to at light heavyweight for the time being, Pereira recently took to social media to reiterate that he has one eye on the South African, whom he plans on pursuing regardless of the result inside Delta Center on October 5.

    “I’m focused on my next fight and I’m going prepared but you never know what can happen, so regardless of the result I want to go down one more time to the middleweight and go for the belt,” Pereira wrote. “Hey Dricus, bring your will to fight me so you can prove that you are better than me, with your public statement it is easy to make this happen, Chama 🔥”

    Ankalaev Slams Pereira In Response To Fresh MW Ambitions: ‘You Are Weak!’

    One man who was quick to take aim at Pereira for his callout of Du Plessis last month was Magomed Ankalaev, the current #2-ranked light heavyweight contender.

    The Dagestani has been calling for his shot ever since the champ’s quick knockout of Hill at UFC 300. But after being passed up in favor of “BJP” this past July and the lower-ranked Rountree this fall, many have questioned the promotion’s apparent reluctance to grant Ankalaev a shot.

    And although it appears that a victory over Aleksandar Rakić at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi late next month would make his claim undeniable, Pereira’s newfound ambitions of a second middleweight reign could present yet another hurdle.

    That fact has unsurprisingly frustrated Ankalaev, who took to X shortly after Pereira’s post to brand him “weak” for continuing to avoid him.

    “You are so weak @AlexPereiraUFC you only pick on the guys who are in lower division than you and you think you can beat them people are not stupid there is a reason why you are fighting Khalil and not me,” Ankalaev wrote.

    For now, both Pereira and Ankalaev have opponents to deal with in October. Should the latter emerge victorious, calls for him to be placed opposite “Poatan” next time out will no doubt only increase.

  • MMA Analyst Believes Israel Adesanya Following ‘The Khabib Model’ Might Have Led To Dricus Du Plessis Loss

    MMA Analyst Believes Israel Adesanya Following ‘The Khabib Model’ Might Have Led To Dricus Du Plessis Loss

    Israel Adesanya failed to reclaim the UFC middleweight championship from Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305. He lost the belt to Sean Strickland in a huge upset and for the first time in his pro MMA career, he has two consecutive losses on his record.

    Like Kamaru Usman at welterweight and Alexander Volkanovski at featherweight, Adesanya lost his title after a dominant run in the middleweight division. He beat top contenders like Paulo Costa, Yoel Romero, Marvin Vettori, Robert Whittaker, and Jared Cannonier without much trouble.

    While fans ponder what’s next for him, MMA analyst Luke Thomas shared his two cents on the decline of “The Last Stylebender”…

    Luke Thomas Blames Israel Adesanya’s One-Dimensional Style For His Loss To Dricus Du Plessis At UFC 305

    Thomas discussed why Adesanya’s dominant reign ended abruptly on his YouTube channel recently. He responded to a fan asking whether Izzy never developed his skills in accordance with other fighters in the middleweight division.

    He pointed out two ways for champions to dominate their weight class. They can rely on a well-rounded style like Islam Makhachev who possesses dangerous wrestling alongside accurate boxing and kicks. Or, they can master one facet of their game like Khabib Nurmagomedov who was an unstoppable force due to his wrestling despite never having a commendable standup.

    “You can be dominant in the UFC via two different models. One is, you are sort of well-rounded but you’ve got one ace in the hole. And you know, you can play the levels a little bit if you have to, but you kind of lean on your strengths. And that’s a common skill set like Islam is kind of like that, right? Or you can go a little bit more like Khabib where, you know, you can get by on the other stuff as long as you might need to for a couple of minutes. But you’ve got one skill set and it’s way better than everybody else and you just lord that over somebody like the Khabib model. Izzy was kind of always on that second model.”

    According to Thomas, Izzy’s dominance at middleweight was similar to Nurmagomedov’s. He had decent takedown defense but outscored all his opponents on the feet. His wins over Whittaker and Alex Pereira exemplify this perfectly.

    The combat sports analyst also highlighted that Adesanya never submitted an opponent in the UFC and most of his wins came in a similar fashion. He used this to explain why the former UFC middleweight kingpin couldn’t sustain his dominance like José Aldo, who’s still winning fights after making his promotional debut in 2011.

    “He got pretty far but could you argue, had there been a little more development and weaponization of the ground game or a bare minimum like submissions, you know, had he got taken down and have to spend time constantly fighting or if his wrestling had gotten really good, what could that have done like Jose Aldo.”

    Although Thomas brought up a couple of notable holes in Adesanya’s game, he called him the second-best middleweight of all time without a doubt. So, even though “The Last Stylebender” has struggled to beat the new generation of middleweights lately, one can’t deny that his striking prowess was enough to make him an all-time great.

  • Israel Adesanya’s Coach Says Du Plessis Defeat Better Than ‘Unexplainable’ Strickland Upset: ‘It Was A Good Loss…’

    Israel Adesanya’s Coach Says Du Plessis Defeat Better Than ‘Unexplainable’ Strickland Upset: ‘It Was A Good Loss…’

    For the first time in his MMA career, Israel Adesanya finds himself coming off the back of consecutive defeats inside the Octagon.

    This doesn’t tell the story of both the fights that took place a year apart, because though he didn’t get his hand raised on either occasion, the story of the fights were completely different.

    “The Last Stylebender” didn’t look himself at UFC 293 where he was shockingly upset by Sean Strickland before taking a year off to return at UFC 305.

    Despite not reclaiming the title against Dricus Du Plessis, Adesanya appeared somewhat back to where he was before and looked to be gaining momentum in the fight until Du Plessis was able to capitalize on a few mistakes to earn a submission win in the fourth round.

    Adesanya’s head coach at City Kickboxing, Eugene Bareman, gave his thoughts on the fight during a recent interview with Combat TV.

    He came away feeling a lot more positive after this loss compared to the one from last year because they were able to learn from clear and obvious mistakes that will only lead to improvements, unlike UFC 293 which left the team scratching their heads.

    “He made some mistakes which you can only, in my opinion, put down to fatigue and the fatigue, you can put down to the work that Dricus was able to do so you can’t do nothing but applaud that. It was a loss but you know, it was a good loss. Me and Israel can walk away from that loss and it’s measurable, it’s tangible. You can put that down, this is why this happened, this is why that happened. The Strickland fight is just a bit unexplainable to us. That’s much harder to get over cuz it’s like well what happened there.”

    Eugene Bareman Gives Credit To Dricus Du Plessis For An Aspect Of His Game That They ‘Didn’t Anticipate’

    Bareman agrees with the common consensus that heading into the fourth round, it looked like the momentum was swinging towards Adesanya in the later rounds.

    However, it was Du Plessis’ finishing ability that ended up deciding the fight after he was able to wobble the former champion on the feet and take his back for the rear-naked choke win.

    As he previously stated above, Bareman puts these crucial mistakes down to Adesanya being fatigued and while this is something they worked on during his training camp, the City Kickboxing boss revealed that he was surprised by how effectively the champion is able to weaponize his conditioning.

    He said that Du Plessis may not be a perfect fighter but he’s always making his opponents work hard to try and capitalize on his weaknesses.

    “It looks like he has some holes in his defense, he also makes you work to take advantage of those holes, you know what I mean. It’s tough work out there. Yeah, the holes are there but it’s tough work to find them and it just fatigued Israel and fatigued Israel and fatigued Israel and it slowly, slowly got to Israel to the point where he was so fatigued, Dricus was able to take advantage of it. That was probably something I didn’t anticipate happening as much as it did and I just had an expectation that Israel would be able to push through that.”

    Read also: Sean Strickland Responds To Machine Gun Kelly’s ‘Big Bro Advice’ As Rapper Wanted UFC Star To Not Talk About Him Anymore

  • Jiří Procházka Reiterates Plan To Move Down To Middleweight Following Dricus Du Plessis’ Title Defense

    Jiří Procházka Reiterates Plan To Move Down To Middleweight Following Dricus Du Plessis’ Title Defense

    There is a realistic possibility that we could be seeing Jiří Procházka competing in a new weight class next time out.

    Just as he did some time after UFC 303, Procházka continued to tease a drop down in weight in a new video on his YouTube channel.

    In the video, the Czech star mentions feeling ready to fight again now, but he is currently waiting for the right conditions to go into a matchup sharp in mind, body, and spirit.

    The interviewer then asks Procházka about the weight he plans to return at. The former light heavyweight champion states that if Dricus Du Plessis were to win at UFC 305, he would look at the possibility of moving down to middleweight. The South African retained the middleweight championship earlier this month at UFC 305, submitting Israel Adesanya.

    “I’ll clear things up a bit there and take the belt,” Procházka said. “But I feel good and strong in the light heavyweight division, even though the guys there are a bit heavier, almost all of them. So I have to say that I have no problem physically and strength-wise, or in any way, with clearing them out.

    “But it would certainly be a challenge for me to go for the belt in the (middleweight) division and then move (back) up. But I’ll really let it flow and see how it unfolds.”

    Jiří Procházka Eyeing Move Down To Middleweight To Challenge Dricus Du Plessis

    Procházka is coming off an unsuccessful challenge of Alex Pereira for the UFC light heavyweight championship at UFC 303 in June. The result marked the second time in about seven months that the two clashed over the championship.

    Pereira recently teased his own move down to middleweight to challenge Du Plessis and try to become a simultaneous two-division champion, having already held the 185-pound gold before his move up to 205 pounds.

    Procházka was also asked about rumors of a potential fight with another former light heavyweight champion in Jamahal Hill. “Sweet Dreams” fell in his own challenge of “Poatan” at UFC 300 — the same card that saw Procházka finish Aleksandar Rakić.

    The Czechia native poured cold water on such rumors during this interview.

    “There hasn’t been any negotiation or discussion with the manager, or anyone else yet,” Procházka said. “I just sent one message regarding Hill, just as an informational note, and I’m not sure if anything has progressed or if someone let something slip. But for now, it’s all just speculation.”

  • St-Pierre’s Coach Feels Du Plessis Breaking ‘Old School’ BJJ Principles Led To UFC 305 Win

    St-Pierre’s Coach Feels Du Plessis Breaking ‘Old School’ BJJ Principles Led To UFC 305 Win

    Dricus Du Plessis retained the middleweight title at UFC 305 by submitting Israel Adesanya in the fourth round.

    Considering the styles of both fighters, it’s not necessarily surprising to see the champion get the victory in this fashion but the result doesn’t tell the full story.

    “Stillknocks” was able to get the tap by hurting Adesanya on the feet, jumping on his back and quickly locking in the choke which his opponent admitted was caused by a simple mistake that he made in defending it.

    Du Plessis has always been a very effective finisher with 20 of his 22 pro wins ending inside the distance but what impressed one of the top minds in the sport was how he circumnavigates a basic rule of Jiu-Jitsu to threaten with submissions.

    Firas Zahabi Breaks Down How Dricus Du Plessis Ignores Jiu-Jitsu Fundamentals When Finishing Fights

    Firas Zahabi gave his thoughts on the main event during a recent YouTube video on the Tristar Gym channel where he pointed out an interesting element of Du Plessis’ game which may have been overlooked.

    The head coach of Georges St-Pierre referenced how one of the first things you’re taught in Jiu-Jitsu is that you go position over submission.

    Especially in MMA where strikes are involved, going for an attack and losing your position as a result can be incredibly costly, but the middleweight champion ignores this altogether.

    Rather than looking to control Adesanya first, he went right for the choke which caught his opponent off guard and gave him insufficient time to regain his bearings.

    Zahabi highlighted this after seeing the South African champ pull off his first title defense.

    “He choked him and I realized something about Du Plessis. When Du Plessis gets somebody down, he jumps immediately on the choke, he doesn’t solidify position you know and in Jiu-Jitsu, we’re always taught, the old school mentality was like position, position, position, and then submission. It was like always burnt into our minds. You take the guy down, you stabilize him, you stabilize him, you stabilize him and then you submit him. Well Du Plessis doesn’t do that, he flies in the face of everything everybody ever told us.”

    Read also: Jared Cannonier Dismisses Caio Borralho’s Grappling Superiority Ahead Of UFC Fight Night Main Event: ‘I Fought Glover Teixeira!’

  • Sean Strickland’s Coach Points Out Weakness In Dricus Du Plessis Ahead Of Potential Rematch: ‘If The Wrestling Does Happen…’

    Sean Strickland’s Coach Points Out Weakness In Dricus Du Plessis Ahead Of Potential Rematch: ‘If The Wrestling Does Happen…’

    Sean Strickland’s coach Eric Nicksick has already spoken about how a rematch with Dricus Du Plessis won’t need big changes from them.

    Their first encounter at UFC 297 where Du Plessis came away with a split decision to become the middleweight champion, was a closely contested affair over five rounds.

    Making small adjustments before running it back will be key because, as we saw in the first fight, there isn’t much to separate these two.

    The fight was predominantly a striking exchange between them but the occasional takedown attempts from Du Plessis opened up some moments that they could capitalize on in the rematch, in Nicksick’s opinion.

    Eric Nicksick Says Sean Strickland Can Use Transitional Grappling Against Dricus Du Plessis

    Nicksick knows better than to expect his fighter to go out there in a title fight and start shooting for takedowns.

    Strickland’s style is very set in its ways and we saw that when he faced elite strikers in Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya, and didn’t once try to take the fight to the ground.

    Where Nicksick feels they can have success after watching the first fight play out is in the transitions after Du Plessis attempts takedowns.

    The Xtreme Couture head coach was able to take lessons from UFC 297 and the time he cornered Brad Tavares against “Stillknocks”, to find this one area.

    “The one thing I will bring up that I feel like Sean doesn’t give himself enough credit for – so when Dricus took Sean down, there was some transitional grappling, things that I want to see Sean implement a little bit more. Sean never was really held down, we were never like taken down and laid on our back but there, Sean’s really good at hitting the switch and Sean’s really good at counterbalancing and taking the back to where I think Sean could implement a little ground and pound and top pressure himself.

    “Anecdotally looking back at what Brad did, when Brad fought Dricus, Brad got on top and Brad rode Dricus all the first round so I think Dricus is a very good topside grappler, I don’t think he’s that great off his back so I’m not saying we need to go and initiate the wrestling but if the wrestling does happen, I think Sean can reverse those positions and get on top and create some havoc up there.”

    Read also: Jared Cannonier Dismisses Caio Borralho’s Grappling Superiority Ahead Of UFC Fight Night Main Event: ‘I Fought Glover Teixeira!’

  • Caio Borralho Reveals Best Way To Beat Jared Cannonier & Fight ‘Strangest Guy In the Division’ Dricus Du Plessis

    Caio Borralho Reveals Best Way To Beat Jared Cannonier & Fight ‘Strangest Guy In the Division’ Dricus Du Plessis

    Caio Borralho, who fights Jared Cannonier this weekend, has been undefeated in professional MMA since 2015. The former Future FC middleweight champ entered the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series and has racked up six wins in the promotion.

    After defeating the likes of Abus Magomedov and Paul Craig, Borralho will face the No. 5 ranked UFC middleweight. This is arguably his toughest test yet, as Cannonier is a veteran with explosive knockout power.

    The Brazilian prospect aims to get a title shot after his seventh straight win in the UFC. Here’s how he would like to beat Cannonier to stand alongside other top middleweight contenders like Robert Whittaker and Sean Strickland…

    Caio Borralho Highlights The Importance Of Putting On A ‘Mature Performance’ Against Jared Cannonier

    Borralho discussed his next UFC fight on Michael Bisping’s Believe You Me Podcast recently. Although he’s prepared for adversity, “The Natural” looks forward to controlling the fight and landing the perfect KO shot or submission.

    At middleweight, Cannonier has been a hard nut to crack for most fighters, except for Israel Adesanya and Whittaker. His last loss to Nassourdine Imavov was seen as an early stoppage by many, including Borralho.

    As a result, “The Natural” understands the significance of an impressive win over Cannonier who’s always hard to take out or dominate.

    “Bisping, I’m finishing him with an amazing performance, like a mature performance. That’s what I need to show the UFC. A mature performance against a top contender, you know. For sure, I’m looking for the KO or for submitting him but the perfect way is that I’m gonna go there, be on his face all the time, put some jabs on him, get some good defense, and then catch him with a good counter punch.”

    Borralho looked back at the two occasions he’s called out Dricus Du Plessis after winning in the UFC. Interestingly, the UFC middleweight kingpin responded to one of his callouts on X, asking him to get a couple more wins in the promotion.

    Borralho has bagged three wins in the UFC since this interaction, which explains why he wants to get inside the Octagon with Du Plessis next.

    “I’m willing to face the strangest guy in the division. And I’m willing to beat his a**. You know, that’s what I’m going to say because I’ve been calling out him two times already so I think the third time UFC gonna hear me after a great feature on Cannonier.”

  • Sean Strickland On Being Arrested In South Africa & Taking A Fight To Avoid Jail

    Sean Strickland On Being Arrested In South Africa & Taking A Fight To Avoid Jail

    Sean Strickland recently recounted the tale of getting arrested during his time in South Africa and how that pivotal incident reignited his MMA career.

    The former UFC middleweight champion has earned as much attention for his fighting skill inside the Octagon as for his ability to spark controversy beyond it. With his audacious and unfiltered personality, he’s become a well-known figure in the MMA world, regularly voicing provocative opinions on a variety of commonplace issues.

    Strickland has consistently found himself at the heart of controversy, entangled in several scandals over the years. From almost being yanked from his short-notice title fight against Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 in Australia, allegedly for assaulting a civilian at Bondi Beach, to receiving a stern warning from UFC CEO Dana White that he could be deported from Canada before his UFC 297 bout with Dricus Du Plessis due to his polarizing views on the LGBTQ community—the 33-year-old Californian’s antics have often put him on thin ice.

    Strickland Reveals He Ended Retirement To Fight In South Africa To Pay Off Bail Bond

    During a recent interview with ESPN MMA, Strickland was asked why he isn’t keen on the idea of having his rematch against UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis in the titleholder’s homeland of South Africa. “Tarzan” revealed that he visited the country long ago and wasn’t fond of it, which is why he prefers the fight to happen in the United States instead.

    The American went on to share that during his time in Durban, he was arrested by the local police for reasons unmentioned and found himself in urgent need of cash to post bail. With limited options, he realized that the quickest way to earn the money was by taking a fight, despite the fact that he had already retired at that point.

    Strickland disclosed that he accepted a last-minute bout against Donavin Hawkey at the King of the Cage: Platinum event in November 2010 to quickly secure some cash.

    “Funny enough, I actually got arrested and had just retired from fighting. I had to pay a bail bondsman, so it was either pay the bail or go to jail. If you need quick cash, what do you do? So, I went and fought this guy named Donavin Hawkey on two weeks’ notice in South Africa just to pay the bondsman not go to jail.“

    “Tarzan” went on to mention that the fight reignited his passion for MMA.

    “That’s literally how I got back into MMA. I was bored, broke, living in gyms, and I’m 19 years old, riding a bicycle like a loser, thinking, ‘I’m done with this sh*t.’ Then I got arrested. I was like, ‘Oh sh*t, well, I guess you have to pay the bail bondsman or go back to jail.’”

    Strickland seized the 185-pound title from Adesanya last September, but his reign was short-lived, as Du Plessis dethroned him this past January. Following his decision win over Paulo Costa at UFC 302 in June, Strickland is eager for a rematch with “Stillknocks”.

    However, his position as the top contender is precarious, as the winner of the upcoming UFC 308 clash between Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev could easily leapfrog him in the race for the title shot.

  • Darren Till Takes Aim At Top UFC Middleweight Names: ‘Whittaker, I F**king Love You, But I Beat You’ 

    Darren Till Takes Aim At Top UFC Middleweight Names: ‘Whittaker, I F**king Love You, But I Beat You’ 

    Former UFC welterweight title challenger Darren Till has been getting vocal about the division he was once a part of, and that continued this week with some opinions on the top middleweight fighters.

    Till hasn’t competed in mixed martial arts since a defeat to then-future champion Dricus Du Plessis in late 2022. The start of the subsequent year saw “The Gorilla” granted his release from the UFC, and he’s since had just one boxing outing.

    All the while, the Liverpool native has vowed to return to the Octagon down the line and hasn’t shied away from giving his assessments of various fighters and matchups, especially at his most recent fighting weight in the UFC of 185 pounds.

    That was on display this month when Till posted numerous tweets about the UFC 305 main event between Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya, offering advice to the latter while constantly berating his former opponent.

    That trend has remained this week, but it wasn’t just the South African taking fire…

    Till Berates Some, Praises Others: ‘DDP I Hate Your Guts…Sean I Like’

    In a recent X post, Till gave his honest take on a number of notable names in the middleweight division, expressing somewhat positive thoughts on Marvin Vettori, Sean Strickland, and Robert Whittaker.

    All three still caught some flak, but it was Du Plessis and Adesanya who took the brunt of it.

    “Marvin I really like but ur sh*t. DDP I hate ur guts and ur sh*t. Izzy!!!! Ur gay and ur sh*t. Sean I like and ur ok cos u beat me up in the gym once I boxed ur head off. Whittaker I f**king love u but I beat you, you chose the sh*thouse way and took me down 10 seconds in the last round… ur sh*t.”

    Till also didn’t miss an opportunity to quip at himself.

    “Have I missed anyone out? Oh sh*t yeh… myself, I’m f**king so shit I really am.”

    And newly crowned UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad also briefly entered the Scouser’s crosshairs.

    “Also Belal Muhammad isn’t a real fighter strip him of his title he cheated against Leon!!!!!”

  • Teddy Atlas Breaks Down UFC 305 Main Event: ‘What He Has Is The Same Thing That Usyk Has!’

    Teddy Atlas Breaks Down UFC 305 Main Event: ‘What He Has Is The Same Thing That Usyk Has!’

    Teddy Atlas recently offered his analysis of the UFC middleweight title showdown between reigning champion Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya, which headlined UFC 305.

    Du Plessis defended his title last weekend at the RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia, securing a dramatic fourth-round victory over Adesanya with a rear-naked choke.

    The fight was a fiercely competitive affair, with both fighters pushing the pace from the moment the bell rang. The first round featured a measured exchange of strikes from both parties, but it was in the second round that ‘Stillknocks’ began to assert his dominance through grappling, securing multiple takedowns despite Adesanya’s stubborn defense.

    As the third round began, the challenger seemed on the ropes, but he quickly found his groove, unleashing a barrage of powerful head and body shots that momentarily swung the momentum in his favor.

    “The Last Stylebender” came out strong in the fourth, seemingly on the verge of securing a knockout, but the South African was quick to counter. With a sudden surge, he unleashed a relentless series of strikes that paved the way for a flawlessly timed takedown. In a flash, he secured Adesanya’s back, locking in the decisive submission.

    Atlas Say Du Plessis Exemplifies ‘Never Judge A Book By Its Cover’

    During a recent episode of THE FIGHT with Teddy Atlas, the legendary boxing trainer broke down the Du Plessis vs. Adesanya clash. Atlas showered the middleweight champion with praise, noting how Du Plessis has perfected the art of executing the basics in his own unconventional way. He emphasized that Du Plessis consistently outperforms his opponents’ expectations, proving to be far more formidable than they anticipate.

    “Even though Du Plessis had shown what looked like fatigue earlier, he always keeps going,” Atlas said. “It always seems like he’s out of gas, and then he’s not out of gas. He learned from the earlier attempts to get that choke hold, which Adesanya survived and escaped at least two times, I believe, earlier. But Du Plessis got the third shot at it, and this time, I think a combination of Adesanya being a little worn out and Du Plessis making sure to capitalize on the opportunity made the difference. But at the end of the day, the first thing I have to say about Du Plessis is that he’s one of those enigmas, one of those guys, one of those rarities where the simple and only accurate way to put it is that he’s better than he looks.”

    Atlas further added that “Stillknocks” possesses a relentless drive to win that reminds him of the hunger seen in former undisputed heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk.

    “There’s nothing dynamic-looking about what he does until he does it—until he gets the end result. Up until then, it’s very deceiving and misleading. He is the perfect example of that old saying, ‘Never judge a book by its cover,’ and he’s physically strong. He’s better in technical areas and subtle areas than meets the eye—he really is. And there’s one other quality that I think describes him: it’s a simple quality, but it’s not something you see every day. No matter how much talent someone has, what he has is the same thing that Usyk has in boxing—an ability to win, a drive, determination. A lot of people have that, but he’s got that plus an uncanny way to know how to win.”

  • Anthony Smith Shares Theory On Alex Pereira Pondering Middleweight Return To Fight Dricus Du Plessis: ‘You Beat My Friend!’

    Anthony Smith Shares Theory On Alex Pereira Pondering Middleweight Return To Fight Dricus Du Plessis: ‘You Beat My Friend!’

    UFC light heavyweight contender Anthony Smith believes Alex Pereira’s middleweight tease could derive from a desire to “stick up” for Israel Adesanya.

    Adesanya recently returned to action in the main event of UFC 305, a pay-per-view event staged at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. The former two-time champ headlined alongside Dricus Du Plessis, competing for the South African’s gold.

    “The Last Stylebender” was unsuccessful in his bid for another reign, falling via rear-naked choke submission in the third round. By all accounts, a rematch with Sean Strickland looks the likeliest next task for the reigning titleholder.

    But one man caused a stir with his Instagram post in the aftermath, as Pereira teased a possible return to the division he once ruled over to do battle with “Stillknocks.”

    Given that “Poatan” has previously dismissed talk of another drop to that weight and instead pondered a heavyweight venture, many were surprised by the post. One man who has long gone back and forth with the Brazilian, however, thinks he might know the reason behind it…

    Smith: Pereira’s ‘Brotherhood’ With Adesanya Motivating Possible Pursuit Of Du Plessis

    During ESPN’s UFC 305 Post Show this past weekend, the panel of Smith, Din Thomas, and Brett Okamoto reflected on the main event in Perth and looked ahead to what could be next for the champ and unsuccessful challenger.

    In terms of the victorious South African, they made note of Pereira’s social media tease. And although plenty have dismissed it as a playful post, “Lionheart” believes the reigning light heavyweight king could be serious.

    In terms of the reasons why Pereira could go back on his word not to return to 185 pounds, Smith thinks the Brazilian could want to make Du Plessis pay for beating his longtime rival.

    “Part of me kind of believes he’s a little bit serious. I don’t think he’s any bigger now than when he was at light heavyweight last time,” Smith said. “I feel like there’s a sense of Alex wanting to kind of stick up for Israel. They have this weird connection, this weird brotherhood, this unusual friendship. They’re moulded together for the rest of their careers.

    “I feel like that’s him (Pereira), ‘Alright, you beat my friend, or someone that I have history with. So now I’m coming down and I’ll take care of it.’ That’s kind of how it felt,” Smith continued. “Almost like, ‘We have this thing going on, but none of you can mess with us.’ That’s kind of how it was.”

    It remains to be seen whether the matchup will enter the realm of possibility anytime soon. Both Du Plessis and his coach have green lit a showdown with Pereira, but only if it provides the South African with the opportunity to achieve two-division glory himself.

  • Robert Whittaker Describes ‘Same Moment’ From His Fight Against Du Plessis That He Saw At UFC 305

    Robert Whittaker Describes ‘Same Moment’ From His Fight Against Du Plessis That He Saw At UFC 305

    Robert Whittaker recently drew a parallel to the identical situation from his own fight against Dricus Du Plessis, which he observed during the main event of UFC 305.

    “Stillknocks” successfully defended his UFC middleweight title last weekend, securing victory with a fourth-round rear-naked choke to submit Adesanya at the RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia.

    The fight erupted at a blistering pace, with both fighters driving the action from the opening bell. The first round was a closely contested striking exchange, but in the second, Du Plessis relied on his superior grappling, securing multiple takedowns despite Adesanya’s resilience. As the third round unfolded, “The Last Stylebender” appeared to be in trouble but soon found his rhythm, landing powerful shots to the head and body.

    Early in the fourth, the challenger seemed poised for a knockout, but Du Plessis turned the tide with punishing combinations, culminating in a perfectly timed takedown. He swiftly took Adesanya’s back and secured the submission victory moments later.

    The South African’s unconventional fighting style, combined with the power in his hands, seems to be an enigma that his opponents can’t unravel. No one is better suited to attest to this than Whittaker, with his firsthand experience facing Du Plessis in the Octagon…

    Whittaker Analyzes How Du Plessis Lulls Opponents Before Capitalizing

    During a recent appearance on the MMArcade Podcast, ‘The Reaper’ dissected Du Plessis’ triumphant performance against Adesanya at UFC 305. Whittaker highlighted the uncanny similarity between his own second-round knockout loss to Du Plessis at UFC 290 in July 2023 and the manner in which Adesanya succumbed to the South African’s relentless power.

    The former UFC middleweight champion observed that “Stillknocks” possesses a deceptive ability to coax his opponents into a false sense of security, making them believe he’s slow and predictable. But just when they start to feel comfortable, he surges forward with an unorthodox stance, unleashing powerful strikes that catch them off guard.

    “There’s a method to his madness like I’m making light of it and making it funny, but the dude is a weapon. He’s a true warrior,” Whittaker said. “I can say that firsthand because he beat me right with the same cumbersome throwing punches. It’s funny—I saw the same moment Adesanya had in his fight that I had in my fight, and it was somewhere in the first round where you think you see the punches, you move out of the way of the punches, and you realize like he’s slow, I can see them, like I got this, it’s almost like you’re thinking, ‘This is too easy, I can see everything.’”

    “And then, all of a sudden, he hits you. Then he starts climbing on you when he starts closing that gap a little bit more, like he starts, what, risking it a little bit more, like lunging into his shots, and he closes that inch that you thought you were safe by a little bit. Then there’s the factor of his power.”

    “The Reaper” also highlighted that what truly makes Du Plessis a formidable force is his versatile style and the power that complements it perfectly.

    “In that last exchange before the submission, Adesanya took some heavy shots. Adesanya’s got a great chin—he does, bastard. Dricus saw that too, pushed it, got the takedown, and then jumped on the back straight away—good instincts. He said he trained for that transition, and it looks good, but that’s just a testament to his power because his power is what got him the chance, the opportunity. There’s so much to dissect and so many ‘what ifs,’ like you’d have to ask him, but, like, man, to sum it all up, I think Adesanya looked outstanding. Dricus is just a warrior, and I understand what you need to do to beat him.”

    Whittaker is eager to redeem his loss to Du Plessis and plans to do so by decisively defeating Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 in October. With his sights set on reclaiming his place as the top contender for the next title shot, he’s meticulously analyzing the reigning champion’s every move.

  • Alex Pereira Told Dricus Du Plessis Is The ‘Wrong Guy To Mess With’ After Post-UFC 305 Call-Out

    Alex Pereira Told Dricus Du Plessis Is The ‘Wrong Guy To Mess With’ After Post-UFC 305 Call-Out

    It has taken a long time for Dricus Du Plessis to get the respect that he believes he has always deserved, but his winning streak is becoming undeniable.

    With eight consecutive wins inside the Octagon, he has now beaten three former middleweight champions in his most recent outings.

    Finishing both Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya, along with going the distance against Sean Strickland, has shown how “Stillknocks” is very effective despite his style not being the most technically sound.

    A rematch with Strickland makes a lot of sense for his next title defense given how close their first encounter was but there is also the potential for a huge fight against the champion at the weight class above, in the near future.

    Daniel Cormier & Chael Sonnen Agree That Dricus Du Plessis Poses A Threat To Alex Pereira

    In order for Du Plessis to add yet another former middleweight champion to his record, he would need to face the current light heavyweight titleholder, Alex Pereira.

    At least on paper, many will point to how Du Plessis does tend to fight recklessly at points, which makes a clash with “Poatan” so dangerous for him.

    However, after watching what he was able to do against another elite striker in Adesanya this past weekend at UFC 305, Daniel Cormier spoke on the Good Guy / Bad Guy show on ESPN MMA about his intrigue around that potential match-up:

    “DDP already said Chael, ‘It doesn’t have to be at ’85, I’m not giving you no excuse. I’ll come to 205 and fight you.’ After watching him, I don’t know that he don’t do well against Alex because of his wrestling and his ability to strike.”

    Cormier’s co-host Chael Sonnen agreed with him on this point, stating that we’re still learning what Du Plessis is capable of at this stage.

    “Wrong guy to mess with, I mean in all fairness, whatever Alex is seeing in DDP, Alex should know that’s what we all saw in Alex two years ago. We did not understand how great he is.”

    Read also: Sean Strickland’s Coach Expands On Strategy For Dricus Du Plessis Rematch: ‘It’s Gonna Be To The Death!’

  • MMA Coach Breaks Down Potential Alex Pereira vs. Dricus Du Plessis Fight: ‘Jiří Is Very Similar To Dricus…’

    MMA Coach Breaks Down Potential Alex Pereira vs. Dricus Du Plessis Fight: ‘Jiří Is Very Similar To Dricus…’

    Following the main event of UFC 305, Alex Pereira kickstarted talks of a champion vs champion clash with a post on social media.

    Dricus Du Plessis was able to defend his middleweight title this past weekend by submitting Israel Adesanya in the fourth round.

    Though he would appear to be facing Sean Strickland in a rematch next and Pereira is booked to defend his light heavyweight crown at UFC 307, “Poatan” teased that he could move back down to 185-pounds to try and reclaim the middleweight strap.

    Du Plessis has been underrated for a lot of his UFC career but being able to add Pereira to his record but would be a massive moment for “Stillknocks”.

    Eric Nicksick Says Alex Pereira’s Counter-Striking Would Be A Big Problem For Dricus Du Plessis

    Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick gave his thoughts on how that potential fight could play out during a recent interview with Submission Radio.

    Nicksick has spent a long time breaking down Du Plessis’ unorthodox movement, timing and technique due to him being Strickland’s head coach.

    He believes that unlike Adesanya and Strickland, Pereira presents a huge problem to the middleweight champion because of his accuracy and power.

    Many have highlighted in the past how Du Plessis does leave himself open to taking damage even if his aggressive style is incredibly effective.

    This is where Nicksick believes that you can’t afford to leave any gaps for “Poatan” to capitalize on, using Pereira’s fights against the incredibly dangerous and unpredictable Jiří Procházka to illustrate his point.

    “So comparison wise, think about what Alex Pereira would do to a guy like Jiří Procházka and Jiří’s very similar to Dricus in the erratic behaviour of the way he throws his punches. I think Jiří is more of a feel fighter where he’s not putting predisposed combinations in his head off of these types of reads, he’s just kind of throwing. Whereas Dricus is throwing these things but he’s also leaving his hands behind in certain positions right, like if he’s hitting that switch cross or switch overhand, it’s like one hand’s in the pocket, the other hand’s in the pocket when he’s throwing that looping overhand.

    “That’s where I think Alex Pereira is elite. I think he sees the holes in the defense so Dricus kind of hits those a couple times and Alex catches that timing, that’s where his counter striking is so great. I think that’s where Dricus will have problems. I don’t think you can have that same type of approach as many times as he did against Izzy as he could against Alex Pereira. It’s like that using the same pickup line at the bar with the same girl over and over and over and finally she’s like, ‘Fine, here, f*** it, here’s my number’. But after a while, you’re like dude, this is not going to work but then all of a sudden it works.”

    Read also: Tom Aspinall Has High Praise For Dricus Du Plessis After UFC 305: ‘One Of The Smartest Fighters In The UFC’ 

  • Sean Strickland’s Coach Expands On Strategy For Dricus Du Plessis Rematch: ‘It’s Gonna Be To The Death!’

    Sean Strickland’s Coach Expands On Strategy For Dricus Du Plessis Rematch: ‘It’s Gonna Be To The Death!’

    The next middleweight title fight would appear to be a rematch of what fight fans saw take place over five rounds in the main event of UFC 297.

    Dricus Du Plessis won a split decision on that night in January to take the belt from Sean Strickland, following a back-and-forth encounter.

    After Strickland was able to bounce back with a win over Paulo Costa and Du Plessis defended the title against Israel Adesanya this past weekend, a rematch is on the cards.

    Given how close it was the first time around, there likely isn’t going to be a big change made by either man that will drastically change the way this one plays out – and that’s how Strickland’s head coach sees it.

    Eric Nicksick Says He Expects A Similar Fight With Small ‘Chess Match’ Adjustments

    In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Eric Nicksick spoke about his expectations for preparing Strickland to face Du Plessis for a second time.

    He spoke about how the key to this fight will be focusing on small adjustments because they wouldn’t need to do much different to have won the first encounter.

    “There are some things and I’ve said them publicly in the past but there are definitely some things that we went away from that would have helped negate that forward pressure and I still firmly believe had we stayed on those things, we would have won that fight and he didn’t do those things, Sean did not do those things. So, we need to get back to some small little changes.

    “There’s some things on the ground that I think we can accomplish as well that I would like to revisit with Sean and yeah. I mean it wasn’t this crazy, crazy, ‘Oh dude, we got our a** kicked’. There was just some small little things but now the fun part is the chess match. What are they going to do to go back and make those adjustments and what are they going to expect us to make our adjustments on, and then there’s that little game of chess now. That’ll be the fun part.”

    Nicksick also believes that this first fight is going to look very similar to the UFC 297 headliner because of the styles and toughness of both men.

    He can’t see a way that it doesn’t end up being a test of both men’s wills when the going gets tough.

    “You would love to say, ‘Oh, we’re gonna go in there and smoke this dude’ but Dricus, he’ll look awful and then he comes back and does his thing so you got to expect a knockdown drag out fight. 2-2 going into round five, hey we’re down to the last five minutes, we’re going to have to dig deep and figure out a way to get this fight, that’s how we have to train, that’s how we have to expect it. It’s going to be to the death.”

    Read also: Tom Aspinall Has High Praise For Dricus Du Plessis After UFC 305: ‘One Of The Smartest Fighters In The UFC’ 

  • Israel Adesanya In ‘Way Better Headspace’ Post-UFC 305 Than After Sean Strickland Loss: ‘I Actually Enjoyed The Performance’ 

    Israel Adesanya In ‘Way Better Headspace’ Post-UFC 305 Than After Sean Strickland Loss: ‘I Actually Enjoyed The Performance’ 

    Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya may be on the first losing skid of his career, but the latest defeat has left him better off mentally.

    Adesanya made his return to action just under a year on from his setback last September, returning to Australian soil to challenge for Dricus Du Plessis’ gold in the main event of UFC 305.

    “The Last Stylebender” took a hiatus from the sport after being shockingly thrust off the throne by Sean Strickland at the Sydney-held UFC 293, citing his frequent activity as a factor that hampered his performance.

    During his break, Adesanya refined his preparation and placed increased emphasis on areas such as nutrition and strength. And upon his return, the Nigerian-New Zealander played his part in one of the year’s best championship fights, going toe-to-toe with Du Plessis for the best part of four rounds.

    Adesanya was ultimately submitted in the penultimate frame, a result that has halted his planned rise to three-time champ status and sent him on the first run of defeats his career has seen.

    While some might have expected such a fact to leave him in a similar place as the period post-UFC 293 last year, “The Last Stylebender” says that is far from the case…

    Adesanya Happy To Have ‘Showcased’ More At UFC 305

    During an interview uploaded to his FREESTYLEBENDER YouTube channel, Adesanya reflected on his unsuccessful title challenger inside the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, this past weekend.

    The former two-time middleweight kingpin continued to show humility and positivity in defeat, acknowledging that it wasn’t his night but insisting he was pleased with the performance he put in.

    That is a far cry from how he looked at the surprise setback at the hands of Strickland 11 months ago.

    “For me, I’m like, you know what? It’s cool. It was his night. Good for him,” Adesanya said. “This morning, I remember thinking like, ‘What’s next?’ … People think I need to get this one back. Nah, I’m chill. We’ll see what happens. I don’t know what’s next. I haven’t really thought that far (ahead). I just know I want to keep training, I want to keep getting better.

    “I’m in a better headspace than I was after the last fight — way better,” Adesanya continued. “I actually enjoyed the performance, and I felt like I got to showcase a lot more of who I am, rather than just fighting injured and not really showcasing who I am. I just want to get back to the gym after this trip.”

    It remains to be seen what could come next for Adesanya, who appeared firm in dismissing any retirement talk in the aftermath of the UFC 305 main event.

  • Tom Aspinall Has High Praise For Dricus Du Plessis After UFC 305: ‘One Of The Smartest Fighters In The UFC’ 

    Tom Aspinall Has High Praise For Dricus Du Plessis After UFC 305: ‘One Of The Smartest Fighters In The UFC’ 

    Count Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall among those majorly impressed by Dricus Du Plessis’ performance Down Under this past weekend.

    Du Plessis made the walk at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, to put his middleweight gold on the line against the returning Israel Adesanya. The pair met in the UFC 305 main event, following an undercard that included standout wins for the likes of Dan Hooker and Kai Kara-France.

    “The Last Stylebender” couldn’t make it three wins from three for Auckland’s City Kickboxing gym, with his South African counterpart finding a submission in round four to emerge victorious from a competitive and enthralling headliner.

    Having long been doubted owing to his unusual approach to fighting, Du Plessis has no doubt been enjoying his victory lap, laughing at those who spoke ill of his chances against Adesanya.

    “Stillknocks” has been getting increased respect and praise from many after successfully defending his gold for the first time, and not many plaudits have come grander than those of the interim heavyweight champ…

    Aspinall On Du Plessis’ UFC 305 Win: ‘Just Looked Fantastic Out There’

    During a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, Aspinall reacted to his promotion’s latest PPV event and the matchup that concluded it inside the RAC Arena.

    Aspinall shared a common sentiment when it comes to deciphering what it is about Du Plessis that makes him so effective. Whatever it is, the heavyweight champ is impressed, so much so that he placed the South African among the most intelligent athletes currently competing on MMA’s biggest stage.

    “DDP, you can’t count this guy out,” Aspinall said. “I watch fights as a fan, but I also watch fights as a fighter to try and pick up little nuances, and I love to study different styles. For me personally, DDP is a guy who I’m baffled by, in all honesty. I’m completely baffled by his style because you watch him and, to be brutally honest, he looks a little bit inferior to his opponents in terms of technique, but it’s amazing to watch because he obviously isn’t inferior.

    “The gameplans that this guy and his coaches are doing are absolutely unbelievable. Me personally, I think he’s one of the smartest fighters in the UFC and his team must be very, very smart as well,” Aspinall continued. “The guy just finds a way to win. He’s extremely physically strong. … He looks a little bit messy, and I’m sure we all can agree on that. But he makes up for it in spirit, his will to win, and persistence. If he doesn’t get what he’s going for, he will keep going and grind his opponents down until he gets it. He just looked fantastic out there (at UFC 305).”

    Like Aspinall, plenty have been confused by Du Plessis’ style and continued success, be it more fellow fighters, veteran analysts, or fans.

    But the South African has evidently found an approach that works incredibly well for him, and having proved his detractors wrong yet again, perhaps questions surrounding his unorthodox strategies will die down as his title reign continues on its way.

  • Israel Adesanya Opens Up On Octagon Exchange With Dricus Du Plessis At UFC 305: ‘If I See Him, It’s Love’

    Israel Adesanya Opens Up On Octagon Exchange With Dricus Du Plessis At UFC 305: ‘If I See Him, It’s Love’

    Israel Adesanya recently shed light on his post-fight interaction following his defeat to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305.

    Adesanya’s bid to reclaim the middleweight title for a third time ended in heartbreak as he fell to a fourth-round submission against “Stillknocks” last weekend at the RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia.

    Adesanya started the bout with impressive precision, appearing to have the fight under control. However, Du Plessis dramatically altered the course of the contest in the championship round, landing a torrent of potent blows that left the former champion reeling. The South African expertly seized the opening to lock in a decisive rear-naked choke to conclude the bout.

    Though the build-up to this fight was marked by a fierce exchange of verbal jabs, particularly revolving around the cultural clash narrative, Adesanya and Du Plessis left the animosity behind once they settled their differences in the Octagon.

    After the fight concluded, the middleweight rivals were seen exchanging cordial words in the Octagon before the result was announced. “Stillknocks” promptly paid tribute to his opponent, hailing the Nigerian-born Kiwi as a “legend” and a future “Hall of Famer.” In turn, “The Last Stylebender” hinted at a potential future camaraderie with Du Plessis, even suggesting they might hang out as he spoke with UFC color commentator Daniel Cormier.

    Adesanya On Du Plessis: ‘I Don’t Think He’s A Bad Person’

    During a recent video on his YouTube channel, Adesanya opened up about the exchange he had with Du Plessis after their bout. “The Last Stylebender” revealed that their words were filled with mutual respect and that his perception of the South African fighter has since evolved.

    “Oh, he just gave me a lot of props, a lot of love, a lot of respect,” Adesanya said. “I accepted it and I shook his hand. Then, after his interview, when we were leaving the cage, we just talked. He said ‘sorry,’ maybe—I can’t remember—but he just gave me a lot of props. He said, ‘Hey, you know, I’m a big fan,’ and of course, I was like, ‘I know.’ And I said, ‘Look, look how far we’ve come from way back then—who would have thought? Now we’re here.’ I was like, ‘f**k yeah,’ and then we hugged. I said, ‘Look, I respect you, I appreciate you.’ I don’t think DDP is a bad person. I don’t know him. Again, we’re not friends, we don’t know each other, but we can be cool—we’re cool, and I respect him.”

    Adesanya further stressed that any lingering grudges against Du Plessis are now a thing of the past.


    “It was never beef. Again, when I say beef, it’s just like you have to fight someone—you don’t have to like them. You don’t have to like them. Again, he didn’t like me, I didn’t like him, but I think now we have a healthy respect for each other. I won’t say we’re BFFs or we’re friends, but if I see him, it’s love. I’ll give him a hug, I’ll dap him up.”

    The rivalry between Adesanya and Du Plessis had seen its ups and downs over the past year, starting when Adesanya held the title, and Du Plessis vowed to become the UFC’s first “true African champion.”

  • Former UFC Champions Pick Out The Perfect Fight For Israel Adesanya After UFC 305 Loss: ‘I Like His Chances…’

    Former UFC Champions Pick Out The Perfect Fight For Israel Adesanya After UFC 305 Loss: ‘I Like His Chances…’

    Henry Cejudo and Kamaru Usman recently took on the role of matchmakers, speculating on Israel Adesanya’s next move following his defeat to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305.

    “The Last Stylebender” succumbed to a fourth-round submission loss against the reigning UFC middleweight champion in his quest to reclaim the title for a third time last weekend at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.

    Although Adesanya showcased sharp striking and strong defensive wrestling in a highly competitive fight, Du Plessis turned the tide in the fourth round with a relentless barrage of punches that left the Nigerian-born Kiwi staggered. With great presence of mind, “Stillknocks” swiftly secured a takedown and moved in to seal the deal with a rear-naked choke.

    Following the defeat, a fleeting moment in the Octagon hinted that Adesanya might be contemplating retirement. As he removed his gloves, fans held their breath, thinking he was about to make an announcement during his post-fight interview with UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier. However, it turned out that Adesanya’s gesture was merely a false alarm, with no real intention behind it.

    Now, after suffering the first submission loss of his career and enduring back-to-back defeats, “The Last Stylebender” finds himself at a pivotal crossroads. To reclaim his place in the title picture, he’ll need to embark on a challenging climb back to the top.

    Cejudo and Usman have pinpointed several middleweight contenders they believe would make compelling matchups for Adesanya’s next fight…

    Cejudo and Usman Split On Adesanya’s Next Possible Opponent

    During a recent episode of the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Cejudo and Usman weighed in on who might be the ideal next opponent for Adesanya. “Triple C” proposed that the former middleweight champion should square off against Paulo Costa in a rematch, viewing it as a quick path back to title contention. Cejudo believes this matchup could position Adesanya for a shot at the winner of the anticipated Du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland title fight.

    “If I’m Israel Adesanya, I’m looking to fight a troll in Paulo ‘Borrachinha’ too, you know, do a rematch with ‘Mr. Secret Juice’—a winnable fight for him,” Cejudo said. “Then he just waits, sees, and hopes that a guy like Sean Strickland wins, and then boom, he’s at the title once again.”

    Usman, however, took a different stance, questioning why Adesanya would bother facing Costa again when he’s already bested him. “The Nigerian Nightmare” instead argued that instead of revisiting old ground, Izzy should set his sights on new challenges.

    “Why would we go ‘Borrachinha’?” Usman said. “He’s lost to Israel Adesanya, lost to Sean Strickland, lost to Robert Whittaker. Why would we go to ‘Borrachinha’? Give him new blood, give him something that’s going to be intriguing. And there are intriguing fights right now. You’ve got the French dude [Nassourdine] Imavov—that is going to be a fantastic fight. You’ve got Khamzat Chimaev, which was the buildup for potentially that middleweight title picture when Israel was champion.

    “Those are fantastic fights, those are huge, and those are amazing fights where I actually think you can’t say that’s not a good fight. Because we’ve had this debate before, and we both agree—what happens when Israel Adesanya gets back up from Khamzat Chimaev? What happens when he’s able to not get taken down, stand there, and start to sharpshoot? We’ve had that debate before, and I like his chances.”

    While Adesanya maintains he’s far from done, he’s not setting a timeline for his next fight. With a 4-4 record in his last eight Octagon appearances, Izzy now faces the harsh reality of reassessing his path forward.