Tag: dricus du plessis

Israel Adesanya Details Lapse In Concentration That Cost Him At UFC 305

In his return to the Octagon at UFC 305, there were a lot of positives to take from Israel Adesanya’s middleweight title fight with Dricus Du Plessis even if he was defeated. “The Last Stylebender” failed to capture the 185-pound gold for a third time but it was clear that his time away from the […]

In his return to the Octagon at UFC 305, there were a lot of positives to take from Israel Adesanya’s middleweight title fight with Dricus Du Plessis even if he was defeated. “The Last Stylebender” failed to capture the 185-pound gold for a third time but it was clear that his time away from the spotlight had produced some benefits.

Heading into the championship rounds, the challenger appeared to be in the ascendancy but eventually, in the fourth round, the unwavering persistence of “Stillknocks” paid off and he was able to catch Adesanya, take him down and secure the rear-naked choke. The former champion said in the aftermath of the fight that he was happy with his performance but he made some crucial mistakes that cost him.

During a recent appearance on Andrew Schulz’s Flagrant podcast, Adesanya spoke more in detail about the mistake that he made right at the end of the fight.

“The mistake was just a lapse in focus cuz I tripped, bad footwork, and I tripped and then that was when he was kind of throwing at me and people thought like ‘Oh! You hurt him’ and I got up and I was like (points) the ground.”

He said that though some may have thought he was pointing to the ground to beckon Du Plessis on, he was instead trying to make the point that he had tripped rather than stumbling due to any damage that he had taken. He went on to say that in his previous fights, you never see him lose concentration for a single second.

The one instance that the City Kickboxing fighter referenced where he did take his eyes off his opponent was during his fight with Derek Brunson where he gestured towards the referee because Brunson grabbed his shorts multiple times. Adesanya believes that this one moment swung the fight against Du Plessis in the defending champion’s favor with the finish quickly following it.

“Even that moment right there, I shouldn’t have. Just stay focused on the task at hand cuz you need 30 minutes of focus while you’re in there so you can’t even have just a lapse in judgment for a split second because if not, people can jump on you and capitalize and I’ve done that to people as well but this time, it got done to me.”

Sean Strickland & Dricus Du Plessis Team Up To Blast ‘Clown’ Jake Paul Over Mike Tyson Clash

UFC rivals Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis unexpectedly united to slam Jake Paul for fighting Mike Tyson. Paul is primed to collide with Tyson in an eight-round heavyweight bout scheduled for Friday at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The highly debated boxing showdown has dominated headlines since its announcement, though not for the […]

UFC rivals Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis unexpectedly united to slam Jake Paul for fighting Mike Tyson.

Paul is primed to collide with Tyson in an eight-round heavyweight bout scheduled for Friday at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The highly debated boxing showdown has dominated headlines since its announcement, though not for the most favorable of reasons. The focal point has been the jaw-dropping 31-year age gap between the YouTuber-turned-boxer and the former undisputed heavyweight champion, a record-breaking divide that has sparked widespread skepticism about the competitiveness of the matchup.

Among the many critics of the Paul vs. Tyson bout, Strickland, who is no stranger to bashing “The Problem Child,” has joined the chorus. The former UFC middleweight champion recently took to X and lashed out at Paul over his matchup with the boxing legend in a series of tweets.

“@jakepaul [Jake Paul] is a clown,” Strickland tweeted. “Your ability to make money off stupid people is impressive, but being rich won’t buy you dignity. You’re fighting a 60-year-old man who is just trying to make a dollar by risking his life.. scum bag.”

Strickland then reacted to the Netflix promotional video for the fight, taking issue with the “All it takes is one punch” tagline.

“You’re fighting a 60-year-old… are you a f**king idiot?? This should be illegal… The man had a medical emergency a month before this because he’s too f**king old. F**king clown.”

Surprisingly, reigning UFC 185-pound champion Du Plessis chimed into the conversation, backing Strickland’s criticism of “The Problem Child”.

“I don’t always agree with you, but I second that,” Du Plessis wrote. “Still, believe Iron Mike KO’s him.”

“Iron Mike” hung up his gloves after a loss to Kevin McBride in June 2005. However, Tyson made a comeback to the ring for an exhibition match against Roy Jones Jr. in November 2020, a bout that ultimately ended in a draw.

The Paul vs. Tyson fight was originally scheduled for July 20 but was delayed to November after Tyson experienced an ulcer flare-up during a flight from Miami to Los Angeles in May.

Dricus du Plessis Laughs Off Sean Strickland’s Title Hopes with Brutal Three-Word Retort ‘Finish Your Fights’

Dricus Du Plessis Sean StricklandStillknocks’ Dricus du Plessis is not too impressed with the former champion Sean Strickland attempting to work his way…

Dricus Du Plessis Sean Strickland

Stillknocks’ Dricus du Plessis is not too impressed with the former champion Sean Strickland attempting to work his way into a UFC middleweight title shot. South Africa’s du Plessis has his eyes on a new challenge in the form of Khamzat Chimaev.

Dricus du Plessis Laughs Off Sean Strickland

The South African champion Dricus du Plessis earned a win over Sean Strickland to capture the UFC middleweight crown and then defended this throne against Israel Adesanya. ‘Stillknocks’ is not interested in further rematching the former titleholder Strickland, instead is looking at the fresh matchup of Khamzat Chimaev.

Dricus du Plessis confirms plan to fight Khamzat Chimaev next: 'He should get the next shot'

Since losing the title, the US-born Strickland has picked up an uneventful win against the mid-ranked Paulo Costa and is demanding a shot at the title with this. Strickland is not well known for his exciting fights or finishing ability but is more popular due to his rants aimed at minorities and women.

khamzat rob
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – OCTOBER 26: Khamzat Chimaev of Russia reacts after a submission victory against Robert Whittaker of New Zealand in a middleweight fight during the UFC 308 event at Etihad Arena on October 26, 2024 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

‘Borz’ Khamzat Chimaev has an 85% win rate by way of knockout or submission over his undefeated MMA career. Having just won a stunning first-round submission against the former champion Robert Whittaker, ‘Stillknocks’ is looking at Chimaev as the better contender. Strickland is begging for a title shot on social media, he said:

“Understand one thing… I am next in line. Its been said, it’s been written. January/February me and @dricusduplessis are scrapping. Go back to Chechnya and wait a few months. Wait — sorry UAE — you’re not allowed in Chechnya, but hey, crypto scams while you wait.”

In response, speaking to TMZ Sports, the champion Dricus Du Plessis said:

“Finish your fights”

‘Stillknocks’ is mocking Strickland for his unimpressive 51% finish rate in his MMA career. To add, UFC personalities such as Daniel Cormier and Joe Rogan are picking Chimaev for the next shot at the middleweight title, snubbing Strickland.

Dricus Du Plessis Says Opponents Make The Same Mistake Against Khamzat Chimaev That They Make Against Him

Dricus Du Plessis is not backing down from the new big challenge that awaits him in the middleweight division. At UFC 308, Khamzat Chimaev delivered a statement performance to put himself into the title picture. The undefeated contender submitted former champion Robert Whittaker in the first round and in many people’s eyes, including Du Plessis’, […]

Continue Reading Dricus Du Plessis Says Opponents Make The Same Mistake Against Khamzat Chimaev That They Make Against Him at MMA News.

Dricus Du Plessis is not backing down from the new big challenge that awaits him in the middleweight division. At UFC 308, Khamzat Chimaev delivered a statement performance to put himself into the title picture.

The undefeated contender submitted former champion Robert Whittaker in the first round and in many people’s eyes, including Du Plessis’, he’s the most exciting option as the next title challenger.

This is something that “Stillknocks” welcomes, as he recently made clear in his reaction to the fight in an interview. Even in his ruthless performance against “The Reaper” in Abu Dhabi, there’s a narrative that exists around Chimaev.

Many believe that based on some of his previous fights, “Borz” is extremely dangerous in the opening round but his aggression and intensive grappling quickly drains his gas tank. In a recent interview with ESPN MMA, Du Plessis was asked whether surviving the early stages of a fight with Chimaev would be his focus for a game plan.

He made the point that fighters would often say the same thing about him until he proved in his last two title fights that he can maintain a consistent pace in the championship rounds. The South African champion said that approaching Chimaev with this mindset would put him at a disadvantage from the very start.

“Yeah, I’ll be very careful in that sense. I think a lot of guys made that same mistake. I think Sean Strickland made that mistake with me, maybe even Israel. Saying, ‘Listen, get past round one and two with this guy and he’s going to be tired and that’s where you start gaining,’ but if you have a defensive mindset, you’re going to be on the back foot the whole time, especially with a offensive heavy fighter like Khamzat in the offensive wrestling stage and myself in the offensive everything stage.”   

Continue Reading Dricus Du Plessis Says Opponents Make The Same Mistake Against Khamzat Chimaev That They Make Against Him at MMA News.

Dricus Du Plessis Says Opponents Make The Same Mistake Against Khamzat Chimaev That They Make Against Him

Dricus Du Plessis is not backing down from the new big challenge that awaits him in the middleweight division. At UFC 308, Khamzat Chimaev delivered a statement performance to put himself into the title picture. The undefeated contender submitted former champion Robert Whittaker in the first round and in many people’s eyes, including Du Plessis’, […]

Continue Reading Dricus Du Plessis Says Opponents Make The Same Mistake Against Khamzat Chimaev That They Make Against Him at MMA News.

Dricus Du Plessis is not backing down from the new big challenge that awaits him in the middleweight division. At UFC 308, Khamzat Chimaev delivered a statement performance to put himself into the title picture.

The undefeated contender submitted former champion Robert Whittaker in the first round and in many people’s eyes, including Du Plessis’, he’s the most exciting option as the next title challenger.

This is something that “Stillknocks” welcomes, as he recently made clear in his reaction to the fight in an interview. Even in his ruthless performance against “The Reaper” in Abu Dhabi, there’s a narrative that exists around Chimaev.

Many believe that based on some of his previous fights, “Borz” is extremely dangerous in the opening round but his aggression and intensive grappling quickly drains his gas tank. In a recent interview with ESPN MMA, Du Plessis was asked whether surviving the early stages of a fight with Chimaev would be his focus for a game plan.

He made the point that fighters would often say the same thing about him until he proved in his last two title fights that he can maintain a consistent pace in the championship rounds. The South African champion said that approaching Chimaev with this mindset would put him at a disadvantage from the very start.

“Yeah, I’ll be very careful in that sense. I think a lot of guys made that same mistake. I think Sean Strickland made that mistake with me, maybe even Israel. Saying, ‘Listen, get past round one and two with this guy and he’s going to be tired and that’s where you start gaining,’ but if you have a defensive mindset, you’re going to be on the back foot the whole time, especially with a offensive heavy fighter like Khamzat in the offensive wrestling stage and myself in the offensive everything stage.”   

Continue Reading Dricus Du Plessis Says Opponents Make The Same Mistake Against Khamzat Chimaev That They Make Against Him at MMA News.

Dricus Du Plessis Picks His Preference Between Strickland Rematch Or Chimaev

Since his submission win over Israel Adesanya in August, it’s looked like Dricus Du Plessis’ next defense of his middleweight title would be against a former foe. Sean Strickland has stuck to his guns that he’s the next in line for the title despite the actions of other contenders. The former champion was beaten by […]

Continue Reading Dricus Du Plessis Picks His Preference Between Strickland Rematch Or Chimaev at MMA News.

Since his submission win over Israel Adesanya in August, it’s looked like Dricus Du Plessis’ next defense of his middleweight title would be against a former foe. Sean Strickland has stuck to his guns that he’s the next in line for the title despite the actions of other contenders.

The former champion was beaten by Du Plessis in January where he lost the belt via a split decision, rebounding with a win over Paulo Costa at UFC 302. Strickland getting his rematch looked like it was on the cards for early next year until the aftermath of UFC 308 this past weekend.

In the co-main event, Khamzat Chimaev submitted former champion Robert Whittaker in the first round to maintain his undefeated record and earn his biggest win to date. As a result, “Borz” has shot up the middleweight rankings, climbing ten places. When you look back at both men’s performances, it’s clear to see who the fans are more excited in seeing challenge Du Plessis next time out.

During a recent interview with Radioraps, the 185-pound king gave his thoughts on the current situation, stating which fight interests him more at this moment in time. Considering that he’s beaten Strickland before and Chimaev is one of the most talked about fighters in the world right now, his decision was an easy one.

“I think we always knew that between Rob and Khamzat, if there was going to be something exceptional that happens, there might be a change in the title fight. We have no clarity on that but as a fan of the sport and as the middleweight champion of the world, that’s a fight that gets me more excited. You know, taking somebody’s 0.

“I’ve beaten Strickland before and I know I’ll beat him again so now getting that Khamzat fight, that gets me excited. I think the whole world, the fans want to see it. The fans ultimately pay to watch the fights so the fight the world thinks is the best next fight, that’s what I want. So yeah, I think the Khamzat fight is 100% what I want, the UFC is going to do what they’re going to do.”  

Continue Reading Dricus Du Plessis Picks His Preference Between Strickland Rematch Or Chimaev at MMA News.