Newly-crowned middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis, fresh off his split decision victory over Sean Strickland at UFC 297 last weekend in Toronto, wants his first 185-pound title defense to come against former division titleholder Israel Adesanya.
There’s an outside chance the promotion could pair them off for the UFC 300 headliner in April, which may explain why UFC CEO Dana White is ruling out an immediate Strickland rematch, but recent reports suggest “The Last Stylebender” may not be ready in time.
He’s going to “test that ass” eventually, whatever that means.
The sportsbooks have already set odds for a potential Adesanya vs. Du Plessis title fight and the bout opened as a pick ‘em at -110 apiece. Then money came rushing in and pushed “The Last Stylebender” to a -185 favorite against +155 for “Stillknocks.”
That’s according to the number crunchers at BetOnlne.ag.
Adesanya and Du Plessis were expected to throw down at UFC 293 last fall; however, their grudge match never materialized. That turn of events paved the way for Strickland to step in and upset the middleweight apple cart until Du Plessis returned at UFC 297.
For complete UFC 297 results and play-by-play action click here. For more UFC 297 news and notes including video highlights, recaps, reactions, and more, check out our comprehensive “Strickland vs. Du Plessis” news archive by clicking here.