What's next for Dricus du Plessis?

By Ryan Mullen

Dricus Du Plessis celebrates his UFC 297 victory (Image: Getty Images

After a razor-thin split decision victory over fan-favourite champion Sean Strickland, the middleweight belt has changed hands. Dricus du Plessis is the new champion. A fighter with a record of back-to-back finishes, making this result even more surprising. du Plessis and Strickland both burst onto the title scene after surprising upsets in 2023, after du Plessis knocked out division veteran Robert Whittaker and Strickland dismantled the former champion, Israel Adesanya. The two fighters went back and forth in what can only be described as a 25-minute war, exchanging all manner of strikes. In the end, du Plessis was crowned champion, and the division certainly has a lot in store for him. It is also notable that Dricus du Plessis is the first South African champion in the history of the promotion.

The Middleweight division is full to the brim with high-level contenders. But first and foremost, the fans have called for du Plessis to have a rematch with the champion to cement his place at the top. With the way their fight went, and how close it was, it’s only fair to run it back at a later event. The bout ended with both fighters covered in blood and bruises. The mass fan appeal Strickland has gained during the press tours for his last fights has brought him to stardom as much as his ability to fight has. Scheduling another fight between the two is the way to go.

Could a rematch with Strickland be on the cards? (Image: Getty Images)

However, another superstar who once competed at middleweight has also expressed interest in fighting the champion. Alex “Poatan” Pereira, the light-heavyweight champion has contemplated “one last rodeo at middleweight”. Instead of moving up to Heavyweight, as he has teased before, Pereira has directly stated an interest in returning to Middleweight. Pereira has tended to “avenge” fighters that he is friendly with against those that have beaten them. He stood in the corner of the former champion when he fought du Plessis and could be the next to face the middleweight champion this year if it does happen.

Du Plessis might fancy a bout with “Poatan” Pereira (Image: Getty Images)

Du Plessis has a star-studded list of competition, with Israel Adesanya possibly being the biggest one on that list. Adesanya was hailed as the next Anderson Silva. A striker who seems to almost effortlessly control every opponent he has fought, but a fight between the two does not seem to be likely as the next championship match. Adesanya faced a brutal defeat against Strickland in his last fight, Strickland’s unorthodox defence was too much for the champion. With du Plessis also being an extremely unorthodox fighter, Adesanya would have a difficult time dealing with him.

A fighter that everyone seems to want to fight for the belt is Khamzat Chimaev. Khamzat- a former welterweight -burst into the middleweight top 10 after an incredibly competitive fight with former Welterweight champ Kamaru Usman. Khamzat is possibly the most highly scrutinised fighter on this list because of the easy route he’s been given through the UFC. While he did beat a number one contender, it was not in the same weight class. Khamzat has admitted he was ‘promised’ a title shot as well, despite not fighting a single-ranked middleweight.

Khamzat vs du Plessis could be a captivating fight (Image: Getty Images)

The new champion must be either terrified or excited with some of the greatest active middleweights all lining up to challenge for their chance at the belt. du Plessis is a fighter who has a puncher’s chance against anyone, but the middleweight division is not an easy one to keep under control for long. The belt has changed hands four times in only two years. When compared with previous middleweight greats like Anderson Silva, who boasts the record for longest title reign in UFC history, this highly competitive era at Middleweight is genuinely incomparable to the last. While Silva’s fights were impressive, this era where it seems like anyone at the top of the ranks could become the champion is exciting and unpredictable. The fans are excited, and every match has genuine speculation around it instead of a definitive result.