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Jon Anik Breaks Down the UFC Middleweight Division and What’s Next For It’s Top 3 Contenders

Jon Anik Breaks Down the UFC Middleweight Division and What's Next For It's Top 3 Contenders Jon Anik thinks the UFC’s middleweight division has never been stronger. As it stands, there are a slew of…

Jon Anik thinks the UFC’s middleweight division has never been stronger.

As it stands, there are a slew of potential title challengers at 185, namely Sean Strickland, Israel Adesanya, Robert Whittaker, Khamzat Chimaev, and Nassourdine Imavov. The question of who’s next for reigning titleholder Dricus Du Plessis is by no means an easy one, but for the longtime play-by-play man, Strickland makes the most sense.

Not just because he sits as the division’s top-ranked contender, but because he’s earned the rematch by being a company man through and through.

“I don’t think it’s hyperbolic or overstating it to suggest that the middleweight division, right now, has never been stronger,” Anik told The Schmo. “Right? Sean Strickland’s a worthy number-one contender. Nassourdine Imavov, on and on it could go!”

He continued, “In a straight meritocracy, I’m on record as promoting Sean Strickland because he has repeatedly stepped up for the promotion. Let us not forget he put his number four ranking on the line against Alex Pereira when nobody wanted to fight ‘Poatan.’ He has stepped into main events against guys, he’s stepped into a five round fight against Paulo Costa. And he fought Dricus Du Plessis toe-to-toe. So in a straight meritocracy, if I’m the promoter, I lean Strickland.”

Jon Anik thinks ‘Borz’ could be next for izzy

Even though UFC CEO Dana White has already promised Strickland his rematch with Du Plessis, it’s not quite that simple. Later this month, we’ve got a big matchup between Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev that could very well produce the next middleweight title challenger.

Then there’s Israel Adesanya who, despite having lost back-to-back bouts, is always right there in the title picture and could step in at a moment’s notice.

Asked what’s next for ‘The Last Stylebender,’ Anik suggested that a clash with Chimaev could be his ticket back to the title, but that all depends on how things play out between ‘Borz’ and Whittaker in Abu Dhabi on October 26.

“I think if you’re Izzy, you just lay back in the cut and maybe it’s Khamzat. I mean that’s a fight that I think would have some appeal but Khamzat could be in a championship setting.”

UFC: Israel Adesanya Sides with Dricus Du Plessis in Sean Strickland Rematch: ‘He’s Just So Weird’

Israel Adesanya sees Dricus Du Plessis going two-up on Sean Strickland. After coming up short against Du Plessis in…

Israel Adesanya sees Dricus Du Plessis going two-up on Sean Strickland.

After coming up short against Du Plessis in August, ‘The Last Stylebender’ will sit back and watch two other fighters compete over the UFC middleweight title for the first time in more than five years. Though no official announcements have been made, ‘DDP’ is expected to run it back with Strickland in the South African’s home country.

Meanwhile, Adesanya will look to fight his way back towards the top of the rankings in hopes of one day making history as a three-time middleweight titleholder.

Until then, the Nigerian-born New Zealander offered his prediction for the impending sequel scrap between the last two men to have beaten him inside the Octagon.

“They already fought before. I fought both of them,” Adesanya said on The Adam Corolla Show. “I think Du Plessis might get it done again. He’s just so weird. The way he fights is awkward. He’s stubborn. No matter how tired he gets, he’ll still just throw, just to stop you in your tracks or stop you from doing what you’re doing. And he’ll just throw and hope. It wouldn’t really land, but it would stop what you’re trying to progress” (h/t BJPenn.com).

Sean Strickland Will finally get his rematch with Du Plessis

Du Plessis bested Strickland at UFC 297 in January via split decision to claim the middleweight title. Since then, ‘Tarzan’ has been clamoring for a rematch. All signs point to his wish being granted after returning to the win column courtesy of a win against Paulo Costa in June.

‘DDP’ is a perfect 8-0 in his UFC run while Strickland has won four of his last five.

Miesha Tate Compares Julianna Peña’s Striking to Dricus Du Plessis ahead of UFC 307: ‘People Don’t Realize How Hard She Hits’

Former UFC bantamweight women’s champion Miesha Tate thinks people underestimate Julianna Pena’s striking. On October 4, Pena will attempt…

Former UFC bantamweight women’s champion Miesha Tate thinks people underestimate Julianna Pena’s striking.

On October 4, Pena will attempt to become a two-time world titleholder when she meets reigning 135-pound queen Raquel Pennington in the UFC 307 co-main event. It will be Pena’s first time competing since her July 2022 loss to Amanda Nunes.

Considering ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ is 3-3 in her last six fights and hasn’t stepped foot inside the Octagon for more than two years, it should come as no surprise that she’s listed as a +140 underdog while Pennington is trending as a -170 favorite. However, not everyone is convinced that ‘Rocky’ will leave with the bantamweight belt still strapped around her waist.

“I think Julianna’s striking is extremely underrated,” Tate told MMA Junkie Radio. “I think her striking is actually very effective – people just don’t understand it. It’s kind of like (Dricus Du Plessis). I think a lot of people look at him, and they don’t really respect his striking, either. I draw some similarities in their striking.

“(Julianna), when she hits you, it’s not a snapping punch. It’s like a joust. You’ve seen those guys that run at each other on horses (with) the jousting sticks? People don’t realize how hard she hits until they get hit by (her). We saw that happen when she took out Amanda (Nunes). Her boxing might not be traditional, but that’s also a benefit.”

Miesha Tate compares Julianna Peña’s “extremely underrated” striking to Dricus Du Plessis ahead of #UFC307.

(via @TheGoze, @MMAJunkieGeorge) pic.twitter.com/2OVl79H8gr

— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) October 4, 2024

Miesha Tate Likens ‘Rocky’ to Valentina Shevchenko

Tate is also very familiar with Raquel Pennington’s stand-up game, having squared off with ‘Rocky’ at UFC 205 in 2016. It would be Tate’s final UFC fight until coming out of retirement in 2021.

‘Cupcake’ likened the champ’s skills to that of another undisputed women’s world champion.

“She’s such a clean, beautiful striker, and she’s very precise,” Tate said of Pennington. “Her defense is so good. I actually liken her style to Valentina Shevchenko. If you think about it, stylistically, they’re pretty similar. They have good bases, and they never overreact.

“Valentina Shevchenko never overextends, Raquel never overextends. They’re both primarily counterstrikers, so they look for somebody to make a mistake. They’re great at parrying punches, they have great head movement, they have very technical boxing.”

Pennington has won six straight dating back to June 2020 against Marion Reneau. Since then, she’s racked up wins against Pannie Kianzad, Macy Chiasson, Aspen Ladd, Ketlen Vieira, and Mayra Bueno Silva to claim the vacant bantamweight title.

Italian UFC Fighter Calls the Champion the N-Word: “This racist thing is bs.”

One-time UFC title challenger Marvin Vettori came under fire after he lobbed a racial slur at reigning middleweight world…

One-time UFC title challenger Marvin Vettori came under fire after he lobbed a racial slur at reigning middleweight world champion Dricus Du Plessis.

After seeing top 10 contender Brendan Allen come up short in his UFC Paris co-main event clash against Nassourdine Imavov on Saturday, Du Plessis took to X and threw some shade at ‘All In,’ calling the 30-fight veteran a loser.

Vettori seemingly approved of the comment and delivered an ill-advised two-world response to ‘Stillknocks.’

“Maa n***a,” Vettori wrote in response to Du Plessis’ dig.

Needless to say, Vettori’s choice of words did not go over well with the MMA community. After getting lambasted by fight fans and dubbed a racist on social media, ‘The Italian Dream’ attempted to justify his actions.

Marvin Vettori tries to justify his use of the controversial slur amid UFC fan backlash

“Chill out everyone I just meant maa guy kind of He is white how does that even make sense all this racist thing is bs definitely many people I don’t like but it’s never based on race or color lol Also I don’t believe in this word power,” Vettori added.

Luckily for Vettori, his boss doesn’t particularly care about employing fighters with any sense of couth or common sense.

9-5-1 under the UFC banner, Vettori has alternated wins and losses since coming up short in his lone middleweight title opportunity against Isreal Adesanya at UFC 263. Since then, Vettori has defeated Paulo Costa and Roman Dolidze while losing to Jared Cannonier and Robert Whittaker.

Meanwhile, Dricus Du Plessis is coming off a big win over Adesanya at UFC 305 in August. Next up for ‘DDP’ will be a rematch with ex-titleholder Sean Strickland, though no official announcement has been made regarding their sequel scrap.

Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson Gives His Verdict On Dricus Du Plessis’ Striking: ‘No Real Good Technique…’

The unorthodox style of Dricus Du Plessis has prompted a lot of discussion during his rise up the middleweight ladder. He was criticized for being far too sloppy from a technique standpoint, but despite that, continued to rack up wins en route to becoming UFC champion. Du Plessis recently commented on this himself, by responding […]

Continue Reading Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson Gives His Verdict On Dricus Du Plessis’ Striking: ‘No Real Good Technique…’ at MMA News.

The unorthodox style of Dricus Du Plessis has prompted a lot of discussion during his rise up the middleweight ladder.

He was criticized for being far too sloppy from a technique standpoint, but despite that, continued to rack up wins en route to becoming UFC champion.

Du Plessis recently commented on this himself, by responding to a breakdown of some of the striking techniques that he uses.

“Stillknocks” made fun of the analysis, claiming that he doesn’t think about or plan any of the things that the video suggested but just does what comes to mind in the moment – which has proven to be very effective for him.

“Wonderboy” Explains Why Du Plessis Is Effective On Auto-Pilot Despite Questionable Technique

In a recent interview with Submission Radio, one of the greatest strikers in UFC history, Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, gave his thoughts on Du Plessis’ style.

As an elite kickboxer, the former welterweight title challenger was able to explain why it’s difficult for even someone as skilled and experienced as him, to fight an unpredictable opponent.

He believes that Du Plessis’ lack of finesse or “good technique” is what makes him a difficult opponent to strike with because he’s hard to read.

Thompson says that the middleweight champion’s mindset when it comes to making adjustments in the fight is a part of that, because he’s fighting on instinct for the most part.

“It’s so weird, I can see how people would have a lot of difficulty fighting him because he does a lot of pulling techniques, he does spinning techniques and it’s like with no real good technique and I understand where he’s coming from when people are like breaking down his fights. He’s out there not thinking about it but it’s all in the training how he’s developing all of this, even though he’s not thinking about it, what he’s doing is working because it’s years of preparation, doing all the sparring and things like that. So you’re not thinking about it but at the same time, your body is doing it without you even knowing it.”

Continue Reading Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson Gives His Verdict On Dricus Du Plessis’ Striking: ‘No Real Good Technique…’ at MMA News.

Dricus Du Plessis Mocks Brendan Allen After UFC Paris Loss: ‘You Suck, Loser’

It was not the best of nights for Brendan Allen at UFC Paris, coming up short against Nassourdine Imavov in a crucial co-main event clash of top middleweight contenders. Allen appeared to be in complete control of the fight over the first five minutes, laying into Imavov and delivering most, if not all, of the […]

Continue Reading Dricus Du Plessis Mocks Brendan Allen After UFC Paris Loss: ‘You Suck, Loser’ at MMA News.

It was not the best of nights for Brendan Allen at UFC Paris, coming up short against Nassourdine Imavov in a crucial co-main event clash of top middleweight contenders.

Allen appeared to be in complete control of the fight over the first five minutes, laying into Imavov and delivering most, if not all, of the activity in the first round. But the American seemed to fatigue from there.

That led to the Frenchman taking control, especially in the grappling realm. Imavov ultimately scored the judges’ nod on all three scorecards.

This fight did not do Allen any favors as he aims to finally capture a shot at the UFC middleweight championship. And current champ, Dricus Du Plessis — someone who Allen is not fond of — let him know it on social media after the performance.

Dricus Du Plessis, Brendan Allen Trade Barbs On Social Media After Allen’s Loss At UFC Paris

Allen was not going to let Du Plessis’ comments go unnoticed, giving him a response back. “All In” reiterated a past claim, stating that the South African has been avoiding him during his rise up the middleweight ranks.

Says the one been ducking me since getting in. We dont all get the easy route. Wasnt my night tonight……but ill still fuck you up

— Brendan Allen (@BrendanAllenMMA) September 28, 2024

Allen saw a seven-fight win streak snapped as a result of his loss in Paris.

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Continue Reading Dricus Du Plessis Mocks Brendan Allen After UFC Paris Loss: ‘You Suck, Loser’ at MMA News.