‘Of course’ – Dricus Du Plessis confirms Alex Pereira stance after UFC 312 and beating Khamzat Chimaev

Dricus Du Plessis has confirmed he is ‘definitely looking’ to move up a division and fight Alex Pereira. Du Plessis is the UFC middleweight champion and defends his belt in a rematch with Sean Strickland this Sunday. Du Plessis won his belt after beating Strickland in their first fight last JanuaryGetty The South African hasn’t shied away from a blockbuster bout with PereiraGetty The pair headline UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia, with Zhang Weili defending her strawweight title in a tasty co-main event against Tatiana Suarez. After emerging through South African MMA promotion Extreme Fighting Championship, Du Plessis has gone unbeaten in the UFC. He won gold for the first time by defeating Strickland in his seventh bout for Dana White‘s promotion at UFC 297 and defended it by submitting Israel Adesanya last June. Victories over Strickland, Adesanya and Robert Whittaker in his last three fights mean du Plessis isn’t far off from cleaning out the entire UFC’s middleweight division. Therefore, this has begged the question as to whether there are many names left for the South African powerhouse, should he defend his belt against Strickland this weekend. “Yeah, of course,” du Plessis, 31, told talkSPORT MMA when asked if he would consider moving up to the light heavyweight division, which is currently ruled by Pereira. “But right now the middleweight division is looking so exciting.” Strickland is the No.1 contender in the middle division ahead of Nassourdine Imavov and Khamzat Chimaev. Imavov just secured the biggest victory of his career by knocking out Adesanya at UFC Saudi Arabia at the beginning of February, while Chimaev, who is undefeated in the UFC, has steamrolled the 185lb division, beating Kamaru Usman and Whittaker in his last two fights. Chimaev is one of the UFC’s deadliest fighters, having shredded Whittaker’s jaws into pieces when he submitted him in the first round of their co-main event at UFC 308 in October. Du Plessis has also acknowledged Chimaev as his division’s No.1 contenderGetty Du Plessis wasn’t afraid to admit the 30-year-old is definitely next in line for a UFC middleweight title shot. “If you look at the title picture a year ago versus now,” du Plessis added. “I mean, it was like the whole top five completely switched around with a new blood, new era, new generation. And it’s very, very exciting. “So for me, you know, I know I’ve beaten three guys in the top five…three out of the five I’ve already beaten and one of them twice. “That’s already starting a lap, but you know, with Imamov’s performance now, then you have Khamzat in there and you have Caio Borralho, who’s zoning in on a massive seven fight win streak. “You have that, so it’s looking exciting. This guy’s coming in and contenders are rising. Chimaev submitted Whittaker in the first round of UFC 308’s co-main eventGetty “Khamzat is the next contender for the middleweight title.I know that. And then there’s contender fights and great ones with that. “So yeah, the middleweight’s exciting. And I’m definitely looking to move up in weight 100%, but that will only be once I have undoubtedly cleared out the middleweight division and seen as the best middleweight ever.” Du Plessis boasts a pro MMA record of 22-2, having gone undefeated in all eight of his UFC bouts. His eight-fight UFC winning streak at middleweight is the longest active streak in the division, and tied for the fourth-longest in divisional history behind Anderson Silva, Adesanya and Chris Weidman. Du Plessis has stopped 20 of his 22 career victories before the final bell, with eight of this victories coming in the first round. The 31-year-old’s significant strikes per minute rate of 6.18 is the second-highest in the middleweight division’s history behind his opponent this weekend Strickland, so expect another all-out war between the pair. UFC 297: Strickland vs Du Plessis (January, 2024) Stats Sean Strickland Significant strikes – 173 of 408 Total strikes – 183 of 419 Takedowns – 0 of 0 Dricus Du Plessis Significant strikes – 137 of 354 Total strikes – 140 of 358 Takedowns – 6 of 11

Feb 6, 2025 - 19:22

‘Of course’ – Dricus Du Plessis confirms Alex Pereira stance after UFC 312 and beating Khamzat Chimaev

Dricus Du Plessis has confirmed he is ‘definitely looking’ to move up a division and fight Alex Pereira.

Du Plessis is the UFC middleweight champion and defends his belt in a rematch with Sean Strickland this Sunday.

Du Plessis won his belt after beating Strickland in their first fight last January

The South African hasn’t shied away from a blockbuster bout with Pereira

The pair headline UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia, with Zhang Weili defending her strawweight title in a tasty co-main event against Tatiana Suarez.

After emerging through South African MMA promotion Extreme Fighting Championship, Du Plessis has gone unbeaten in the UFC.

He won gold for the first time by defeating Strickland in his seventh bout for Dana White‘s promotion at UFC 297 and defended it by submitting Israel Adesanya last June.

Victories over Strickland, Adesanya and Robert Whittaker in his last three fights mean du Plessis isn’t far off from cleaning out the entire UFC’s middleweight division.

Therefore, this has begged the question as to whether there are many names left for the South African powerhouse, should he defend his belt against Strickland this weekend.

“Yeah, of course,” du Plessis, 31, told talkSPORT MMA when asked if he would consider moving up to the light heavyweight division, which is currently ruled by Pereira.

“But right now the middleweight division is looking so exciting.”

Strickland is the No.1 contender in the middle division ahead of Nassourdine Imavov and Khamzat Chimaev.

Imavov just secured the biggest victory of his career by knocking out Adesanya at UFC Saudi Arabia at the beginning of February, while Chimaev, who is undefeated in the UFC, has steamrolled the 185lb division, beating Kamaru Usman and Whittaker in his last two fights.

Chimaev is one of the UFC’s deadliest fighters, having shredded Whittaker’s jaws into pieces when he submitted him in the first round of their co-main event at UFC 308 in October.

Du Plessis has also acknowledged Chimaev as his division’s No.1 contender

Du Plessis wasn’t afraid to admit the 30-year-old is definitely next in line for a UFC middleweight title shot.

“If you look at the title picture a year ago versus now,” du Plessis added.

“I mean, it was like the whole top five completely switched around with a new blood, new era, new generation. And it’s very, very exciting.

“So for me, you know, I know I’ve beaten three guys in the top five…three out of the five I’ve already beaten and one of them twice.

“That’s already starting a lap, but you know, with Imamov’s performance now, then you have Khamzat in there and you have Caio Borralho, who’s zoning in on a massive seven fight win streak.

“You have that, so it’s looking exciting. This guy’s coming in and contenders are rising.

Chimaev submitted Whittaker in the first round of UFC 308’s co-main event

“Khamzat is the next contender for the middleweight title.I know that. And then there’s contender fights and great ones with that.

“So yeah, the middleweight’s exciting. And I’m definitely looking to move up in weight 100%, but that will only be once I have undoubtedly cleared out the middleweight division and seen as the best middleweight ever.”

Du Plessis boasts a pro MMA record of 22-2, having gone undefeated in all eight of his UFC bouts.

His eight-fight UFC winning streak at middleweight is the longest active streak in the division, and tied for the fourth-longest in divisional history behind Anderson Silva, Adesanya and Chris Weidman.

Du Plessis has stopped 20 of his 22 career victories before the final bell, with eight of this victories coming in the first round.

The 31-year-old’s significant strikes per minute rate of 6.18 is the second-highest in the middleweight division’s history behind his opponent this weekend Strickland, so expect another all-out war between the pair.