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Once Favored Ahead of Dana White’s Prospect Bo Nickal, Dricus Du Plessis’s “Problems” on Getting Sidelined Come to Light After UFC 297 Update

Published 11/09/2023, 6:13 AM EST

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This year is coming to an end, and Dana White has already set the cards for next year’s UFC events. One such card includes the long-awaited appearance of Driscus Du Plessis in the octagon for the middleweight title. The South African native will be set to lock horns against the middleweight champion, Sean Strickland, in UFC 297 on the January card.

Du Plessis despite being the number one contender took long enough to get this fight. Does it have anything to do with his ongoing beef with the UFC’s CEO Dana White? Chael Sonnen believes that Du Plessis is often overlooked just because of his beef with Dana White. Let us understand Sonnen’s analysis.

Chael Sonnen believes Dricus Du Plessis was sidelined

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Dana White surprised everyone when he released the card for the upcoming UFC events. Dricus Du Plessis‘s fight against Sean Strickland was a much more surprising card for the combat fans since White promised Khamzat Chimaev a title fight if he defeated Kamaru Usman. It was rather more intriguing that despite White’s beef with Du Plessis, he got the opportunity to headline the event.

Chael Sonnen believes that Du Plessis was initially overlooked, even when he was a good fighter. Sonnen in his recent YouTube video gave us insights into this. Sonnen said “I would never have guessed that I wouldn’t argue that it was the wrong match. I love seeing Du Plessis, who in December of last year, was on an undercard and spoke up about having massive problems with it.” 

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He further added “He questioned why he was on an undercard, especially on a card that featured Bo Nickel on the main card. Du Plessis asked, “How many times has he done it? How many times have I done it? My fight is meaningful and difficult; his is a squash match. What are you doing?”  

Down in the conversation, Sonnen states that now Khamzat Chimaev is being sidelined just like Dricus Du Plessis since he was supposed to get the title fight and not Du Plessis.

Sonnen questions Khamzat Chimaev absence

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Out of nowhere, Dana White dropped the fight cards, but the real curveball was the absence of Chimaev. Chael Sonnen, in his recent YouTube video, hinted at some behind-the-scenes mystery behind Chimaev’s sudden exclusion. ‘The American Gangster’ said” What happened to Chimaev? Where do we go with all that? There could be an answer, but getting those answers is very difficult.” 

He further added “Chimaev doesn’t give us a lot, and there’s a rule in politics: if somebody is saying something about you and it’s not true, you must correct it. You must, or there will be a perception that it is true, and perception becomes reality, right? A lie told enough times becomes a truth. In spite of that fact and psychological reasoning, Chimeav still doesn’t come out and correct it.”

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What is your take on Chael Sonnen’s opinion? Do tell us in the comments below

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Written by:

Suryakant Das

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I'm Suryakant Das, an avid sports enthusiast from a family that cherishes the world of sports. I still vividly recall the day my father took me to watch Indian wrestling, sparking my fascination with the discipline and the aura of those warriors. Over time, my love for combat sports grew, and now, I'm a UFC writer at EssentiallySports.
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Edited by:

Joyita Das