Standing strong as the UFC middleweight champion, Dricus Du Plessis has made known his ambition to ultimately challenge Alex Pereira for the light heavyweight title. However, he acknowledges that this endeavor will have to be postponed until he has solidified his reign in the middleweight division. Recently, Du Plessis marked his second successful 185-pound title defense with a comprehensive unanimous decision win over ex-champion Sean Strickland in their title rematch at UFC 312 held in Sydney. In the aftermath of the fight, while in interaction with the media at Qudos Bank Arena, Du Plessis expressed his aspiration to go head-to-head with Pereira in future, but emphasized the immediate threat posed by the Chechen contender Khamzat Chimaev.
Du Plessis holds Alex Pereira in the highest regard, placing him, in his opinion, at the indisputable top of the world’s pound-for-pound rankings. Du Plessis marvels at Pereira’s meteoric rise in the UFC, transitioning successfully from another sporting discipline. He is adamant about testing his skills against Pereira in the Octagon, driven by the desire to overcome this formidable opponent. Du Plessis calls upon his past victory over Adesanya, who has defeated Pereira, as proof that he stands a firm chance of defeating Pereira in the 205-pound category. However, he reiterates that his current focus remains unwaveringly on Chimaev.
Chimaeva’s unblemished 14-0 record is formidable, and his past victories include triumphs over former UFC champions, bringing down former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in a middleweight bout at UFC 294 and delivering a decisive face-crank submission to ex-middleweight champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 the previous October. Now standing as Du Plessis’ next challenge for the undisputed middleweight title, Chimaev is primed for this face-off. The South African champion insists on taking on Chimaev before he can dream of dual-division glory and a future engagement with Pereira, who is poised to fight Russian contender Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 in Las Vegas on March 8.
On expressing his desire to Pereira, Du Plessis revealed, ‘My plea to you, Pereira, conquer Ankalaev.’ This appeal carried no negative sentiments towards Ankalaev but reflected Du Plessis’s keen interest in clashing with Pereira. For Du Plessis, Pereira has already established himself as a remarkable figure in the sport, and emerging victorious over him would significantly bolster Du Plessis’s own legacy.
In Du Plessis’s grand vision of his future in the sport, he aspires to be recognized as the finest the UFC has ever seen. Yet, he is unequivocal that Chimaev stands as his next opponent. His ambition is to thoroughly establish his dominance as the middleweight champion, leaving no room for doubt. He respects and acknowledges champions like Anderson Silva, who he considers the most successful of his division, and Adesanya, who has delivered remarkable performances.
But according to Du Plessis, it’s not just about frequent title defenses, but the caliber of the opponents faced, the manner in which one defends the title, and the tenure of one’s reign that truly matters. He is determined to ensure that his status as the best middleweight will be universally accepted before he considers moving up in weight class. Therefore, he emphasizes that his immediate focus is not Pereira but Chimaev. He strongly feels that Chimaev deserves to face him in the Octagon next, in a challenge he terms ‘a hiding.’