Dricus Du Plessis wants the next shot at the UFC middleweight title, and he has zero interest in a detour. In an interview with Fight Forecast, reported by MMA Weekly, the former 185-pound champion said he’s completely ready for a title fight and made it plain he doesn’t see a step-down matchup in his future.
Du Plessis asked who the UFC could even match him with and said the promotion isn’t going to make him fight backwards. Then he laid out the names he sees at the top of the division: “And right now we have Strickland, Imavov, Khamzat and myself.”
That short list carries a lot of history for him. Du Plessis first won the title at UFC 297 in January 2024, taking a split decision from Sean Strickland, who now holds the belt again. The rematch at UFC 312 wasn’t close. Du Plessis dominated it. Then came UFC 319, where Khamzat Chimaev took the title from him in a one-sided fight. The South African answered that loss in his most recent outing by soundly beating former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.
“After the last fight, I just prove again that I can be the best in the world and that I will be the best in the world,” he said of the Usman win.
The Strickland problem
Du Plessis told Fight Forecast he expects the UFC to book Strickland against Nassourdine Imavov next. He also described the state of the division as strange, which is generous. Strickland has recently talked about moving into boxing and said he’d be willing to give up the 185-pound belt. According to MMA Weekly, Strickland wants more money, and his social media posts suggest negotiations with the promotion aren’t going smoothly. So the top of the division is stuck in place while the champion and the UFC haggle.
Du Plessis isn’t available right this second anyway. He said he dealt with an injury that kept him out for a while, but he’s told the UFC he’ll be ready to compete early next year.
“I was off 11 months working on everything to be the best in the world again,” he said. “I have no doubt that I will be champion again.”
Quick take
His case is stronger than most people lobbying for a title shot. He owns two wins over the current champion, and the Usman result was a convincing rebound from the worst night of his career. The catch is that third Strickland fight. Du Plessis already beat him twice, and the second one was lopsided, so a trilogy is a tough sell unless Strickland gets past Imavov in impressive fashion. If Strickland actually walks away to box, though, Du Plessis against Imavov for the vacant belt is the obvious booking, and I’d want it in the first quarter of next year, right when Du Plessis says his body is ready.
