Dricus Du Plessis’s win at UFC 305 has spurred much positive and negative talk in the MMA world. The South African defeated Nigerian-New Zealander Israel Adesanya to retain his middleweight title.
The win also caught the eye of former Middleweight champ Alex Pereira. The Brazilian fighter is currently the champion of the light heavyweight division and plans on moving up to heavyweight. However, it seems Du Plessis’s win may change his mind. After the fight, Pereira posted a picture with the caption, “Coming down to 185 one more time.”
“Poatan” won the UFC middleweight championship in 2022 after beating Israel Adesanya, but he lost it some months later in a rematch. Since then, the fighter has primarily been competing in the light heavyweight division. However, his speculations about dropping to the middleweight weren’t taken lightly by fighters like Magomed Ankalaev, who called Pereira “The biggest chicken in UFC.”
Ankalaev is currently tied for the #2 position with Jiri Prochazka, and he plans on moving up the rank by dropping Pereirs if they ever cross paths in the cage. The fighter is eager to face the reigning champ, and he isn’t thrilled about the fighter’s jest at dropping division.
“I honestly don’t think Alex Pereira should drop down to 185,” du Plessis said at UFC 305’s post-fight press conference. “If he wants to, great, perfect. But then we’re going to hear the excuses. I saw [Israel Adesanya] stiff that man in the first round. I felt Izzy’s punching power tonight. Izzy has great timing, he’s fast, he’s long and he has great combinations, but I felt the power.
“If Izzy stiffens you like that, you do not want to be in there with me, especially not when you’ve got to come in there with the excuses, ‘Oh, I cut too much weight.’ That’s going to happen. Everybody’s going to say it.”
Ankalaev is set to face Alexander Rakic at the UFC 308, three weeks after Pereira faces Rountree.
