Dricus Du Plessis is eager to return to the Octagon following his stunning upset of Robert Whittaker at UFC 290. Initially on track for a title shot against his rival, Israel Adesanya, Du Plessis had to decline the opportunity due to an injury before UFC 293. Sean Strickland stepped in and turned the MMA world upside down by defeating Adesanya in a unanimous decision after a 5-round battle.
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In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Du Plessis shared his thoughts on the upcoming matchup between Paulo Costa and Khamzat Chimaev, particularly regarding the implications for a title shot. And he made some interesting observations on the situation.
Dricus Du Plessis had this to say about Khamzat Chimaev and Paulo Costa
When asked if he felt the outcome of the Strickland-Adesanya fight impacted his chances of securing a title shot, Du Plessis addressed the reports of Dana White’s displeasure with his decision to withdraw from the Adesanya fight at UFC 293. Dricus believes that his decision to decline the fight may have irked the UFC, but it didn’t negatively impact his reputation or popularity.
Regarding the upcoming bout between Khamzat Chimaev and Paulo Costa, Du Plessis expressed his opinion on the idea that the winner might earn the next title shot:
“The Khamzat Costa (fight) obviously, if they are favorites, I get that, but Costa’s ranked no.5 and Khamzat’s not even in the rankings, so I don’t see how that makes sense. Cannonier makes more sense than Khamzat and Costa.”
Dricus questions the logic of a potential matchup between Khamzat and Costa, given that one isn’t even ranked. He suggests that Jared Cannonier is a more sensible choice. He believes that having defeated Robert Whittaker, he should be the top contender. And anticipates a rematch with Adesanya where their roles are reversed.
The future for the middleweight division post-UFC 293
Khamzat Chimaev will face Paulo Costa at UFC 294 on October 21 in the UAE. Both fighters will make their returns to the cage after an extended hiatus. Chimaev’s last fight was against Kevin Holland, securing a win via a D’arce choke in the first round. Costa, on the other hand, last fought against Luke Rockhold at UFC 278, where he won by unanimous decision.
Imago
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 10: Khamzat Chimaev of Russia prepares to fight Kevin Holland in a 180-pound catchweight fight during the UFC 279 event at T-Mobile Arena on September 10, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Chimaev will return to the middleweight division after switching between welterweight and middleweight for his recent fights. However, he missed weight before his previous fight and has decided to move up in weight.
With Sean Strickland’s unexpected win and the rise of Dricus Du Plessis, the middleweight division is in a state of upheaval. The next contender for the UFC middleweight title remains uncertain, but fans anticipate exciting matchups in the division’s foreseeable future.
Share your thoughts in the comments: Do you believe Khamzat Chimaev will defeat Paulo Costa? Will Dricus Du Plessis secure his title shot?
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