Ex-middleweight champion Alex Pereira took to social media to call out reigning champion Dricus Du Plessis.
Despite hopes that the fight may be interesting, Du Plessis does not see any point in it as the Brazilian fighter is no longer in the division.
“So let me handle my business, you handle your business.” Du Plessis said at the post-fight conference. “You don’t have to cut the weight to have some sort of excuse. I’ll come up after the (Sean) Strickland fight. I’ll come up to 205 and we’ll sort it out there.”
Du Plessis has his sights set on another opponent, Robert Whittaker. However, UFC CEO Dana White has already announced that Du Plessis’s next bout will be against former champ —whom Du Plessis beat to gain the title– Sean Strickland. The South African, however, sees no point in fighting the former champion as their last fight ended with a win for him after multiple trash-talking.“I don’t know,” du Plessis said. “Does he want to cry again?”
The champ spoke about which 185 champion he’d like to see in the cage.
“Robert Whittaker,” du Plessis said. “Robert Whittaker deserves the shot. I think he’s being done over. Whittaker beat Costa.
“Sean Strickland’s only saving grace is the fact he went to decision with me. That’s it. Robert Whittaker beat Costa in a more spectacular fashion, I believe, than Strickland did. Then Whittaker steps up to fight Khamzat [Chimaev] pulls out, Whittaker fights a nobody in the sense that [Aliskerov] is not in the rankings, he can only lose, and it’s a great fighter. Ikram is an amazing fighter. He’s really good. Whittaker makes it look like he’s fighting an amateur.
“And what does he get for it? Nothing. Then says, ‘OK, I’ll fight Khamzat again.’ So if he beats Khamzat, do you not give him the title shot? He’s getting the short end of the stick, unfortunately. That’s not on me. I’ll fight whoever. Strickland’s the fight everyone wants to see, but Whittaker is the one being done over, in my opinion. He’s more deserving, but life’s not fair.”
Notwithstanding this, the fighter has many matches to look forward to as there are many opponents to compete against him. Robert Whittaker will face Khamzat Chimaev in a rebooked five-round co-main event at UFC 308, delaying his fight with Whittaker to another time. It will be Whittaker’s third fight of 2024 after beating Paulo Costa at UFC 298 via unanimous decision in February.
