At UFC 305, Dricus Du Plessis made it clear that his run as the middleweight champion is far from over! Taking on former champion, Israel Adesanya, the fight had seen a heated build-up between the two men. The issue, stemming from Du Plessis’s remarks over what it means to be an ‘African champion’ had rubbed Adesanya the wrong way and he was determined to re-capture the title he once held.

The fight was an action-packed affair with both men having their moments. Ultimately, Du Plessis walked away with his hands raised and the belt still around his waist. However, Alex Pereira was watching the fights, and ‘Poatan’ has a warning for ‘Stillknocks’ that may throw a wrench in UFC CEO Dana White’s plans for the 185 lbs. division!

Alex Pereira makes a bold call-out after UFC 305 ends in heart-break for Israel Adesanya  

The fight between Israel Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis started off with both men being cautious and measuring the distance. With ‘The Last Stylebender’s striking on full display, Du Plessis’s high guard served him well as he was able to absorb a lot of shots and launch his blitzes. Takedowns were a key for ‘Stillknocks’ in the fight as he tested Adesanya’s grappling defense multiple times in the fight.

In the fourth round, just as it appeared as though Adesanya was gaining momentum,  Du Plessis landed a big shot and dragged Adesanya to the canvas and locked in a rear-naked choke. In a moment that shocked the world, Adesanya tapped out and Du Plessis was successful in the first defense of his title.

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In a post made on social media, Alex Pereira then added more fuel to the fire as he posted a picture of himself sitting in front of a TV with Du Plessis’s winning moment with the caption, “Coming down to 185 one more time.”

So what does this mean for Dana White’s previous plans? According to an interview with Jim Rome, the UFC boss had claimed, “Listen, Sean Strickland right now is the number one ranked middleweight in the world, and the answer is yes (he will be next to fight for the title).”

Now, with ‘Poatan’ seemingly intent on returning to middleweight, will the UFC have to pivot in its plans? Only time will tell. But all the talk in the MMA sphere lately has been about ‘Poatan’s upcoming UFC 307 title defense with a lot of criticism being leveled from prominent names in the sport at the UFC’s choice of opponent for the Brazilian champion.

Khalil Rountree Jr. defends his title shot against ‘Poatan’ 

When it was announced that UFC 307 will feature a title fight between Alex Pereira and Khalil Rountree Jr. the MMA world was taken aback. However, former light-heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill wasn’t thrilled at all. Taking to X to share his thoughts, Hill claimed that, “This is terrible for the sport and makes the rankings completely pointless!”

Rountree Jr. currently is on a 5-fight win streak and holds the no. 8 spot in the light-heavyweight division. As such, in a recent interview with Kevin Iole, ‘The War Horse’ responded to Hill’s comments by firing back with, “He has his own personal reasons. I don’t think it’s terrible for the sport. I think it’s amazing for the sport.” Hill came up short against Pereira at UFC 300 in his quest to reclaim his title and was originally scheduled to face off against Rountree at UFC 303 before ‘The War Horse’ was forced to step away due to accidentally taking a banned substance. 

With Pereira indicating that he’d like to go back down to middleweight after UFC 305, it raises numerous questions about his future in the UFC. Will Alex Pereira challenge Dricus Du Plessis for the middleweight title after UFC 307? Or will Sean Strickland get the title shot he has been promised by Dana White? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!