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As the highly anticipated UFC 297 approaches on Saturday, January 20th, at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, South African fighter Dricus Du Plessis is already contemplating his next move in the MMA world.
The main event of UFC 297 will feature a heavyweight title clash between current champion Sean Strickland (28-5 MMA) and the formidable Dricus Du Plessis (20-2 MMA). Strickland, 32, recently claimed the crown by defeating Israel Adesanya in September at UFC 293. Du Plessis, 29, enters the bout on a six-fight winning streak under the UFC banner, with his latest victory being a TKO against Robert Whittaker at UFC 290 in July.
In an interview with 'Submission Radio,' Du Plessis revealed his post-UFC 297 plans, stating, "That all depends on how the division opens up. I would still love to fight Israel Adesanya. 100 percent it would be my first choice as a defense. It would be great, but I’m assuming Khamzat (Chimaev) is the guy they’re gonna try and push. So that would be cool (too)."
Discussing the potential outcome of his fight with Strickland, Du Plessis expressed confidence in his approach, saying, "I have my style of fighting and he has his style of fighting. In our fight, it’s going to be the guy who imposes his will and fights his fight the best. That’s going to be the winner and that’s going to be me."
Analyzing Strickland's fighting style, Du Plessis noted,
"His defense is ugly. It’s very weird, but it’s effective. I think he deflects shots beautifully, and I think irritating is a good style. It’s always pushing something out there and it’s such a different style."
Concluding the interview, Du Plessis emphasized his confidence in facing Strickland, stating, "I need one shot. I need to land one shot. If (Alex) Pereira can knock him out, I can knock him out even better."
As the excitement builds for UFC 297, fans are left anticipating the outcome of the Du Plessis-Strickland clash and what lies ahead for the South African fighter in the light heavyweight division.
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