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Dricus du Plessis laughs off Islam Makahchev middleweight threat: ‘Everybody can dream’

Dricus du Plessis laughs off Islam Makahchev middleweight threat: 'Everybody can dream' Ahead of his own return at UFC 305 later this month, undisputed middleweight champion, Dricus du Plessis has laughed…

Ahead of his own return at UFC 305 later this month, undisputed middleweight champion, Dricus du Plessis has laughed off a potential move to his stomping ground for lightweight best, Islam Makhachev – claiming the Russian is entitled to “dream” like everybody else.

du Plessis, the current undisputed middleweight champion, headlines UFC 305 next weekend in Perth, Australia – taking on the returning former two-time titleholder, Israel Adesanya in his first defense of the divisional crown.

Winning gold back in January at UFC 297, promotional-perfect star, du Plessis turned in a controversial spiit decision win over Sean Strickland, minting himself as the undisputed middleweight champion.

Dricus du Plessis claims Islam Makhachev is dreaming too big

And ahead of his return against Adesanya in his first championship setting, du Plessis has laughed off prior claims from Makhachev’s head coach, Javier Mendez how his student is good enough to excel as high as middleweight.

“Everybody can dream, right?” Dricus du Plessis told Kevin Iole. “I always say, never cap your dreams. Dream big, but he’s (Islam Makhachev) dreaming real big. I’m very big. Of course, in this sport, everybody wants that. Especially after it’s been done. I completely understand going up to another division and fighting for another belt because here comes a stage where it makes sense and Makhachev right now, there’s people still left to fight. …”

During his run through middleweight contenders, du Plessis became the first fighter other than incoming foe, Adesanya to defeat former gold holder, Robert Whittaker – stopping the ex-champion with a stunning knockout win in their title eliminator in the summer of last year.

Prior to that, the Pretoria native stopped former welterweight title chaser, Darren Till with a third round neck crank in their high-profile pairing the December prior.

Would Dricus du Plessis vs. Islam Makhachev be a competitive fight?

Israel Adesanya Compares Dricus Du Plessis’ ‘Awkward’ Style With Former Opponent

A lot has changed since Israel Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis first faced off inside the Octagon at UFC 290 last year. The middleweight title has been exchanged between them without them fighting inside the Octagon, but that changes at UFC 305 on August 17. At the time, Adesanya would have been considered to be […]

Continue Reading Israel Adesanya Compares Dricus Du Plessis’ ‘Awkward’ Style With Former Opponent at MMA News.

A lot has changed since Israel Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis first faced off inside the Octagon at UFC 290 last year.

The middleweight title has been exchanged between them without them fighting inside the Octagon, but that changes at UFC 305 on August 17.

At the time, Adesanya would have been considered to be a big favorite against the challenger, even after Du Plessis stunned the MMA world by stopping Robert Whittaker.

However, the South African fighter then went on to defeat Sean Strickland for the 185-pound belt. This was after “The Last Stylebender” was convincingly beaten by the short-notice title challenger Strickland at UFC 293, making this upcoming fight very different.

One of the biggest arguments that can be made for the champion retaining the title in Perth is the awkward timing and movement that Du Plessis brings into the cage.

We saw how Strickland was able to stifle Adesanya’s offense and whilst Du Plessis may not have the same defensive ability, he’s very unpredictable.

In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, the former two-time champion said that he doesn’t expect this to be a problem for him despite “Stillknocks” presenting some issues.

He compared him to a former opponent of his in Marvin Vettori, who Adesanya has faced and beaten twice, with one added element to his game.

“A bit like Vettori to be honest but he’s just more of a risk taker than Vettori. So yeah, I don’t think I’ll have an issue dealing with what he brings but it’s the intangibles, the unknown unknowns. He takes way more risks than Vettori so that’s what makes him really dangerous.”

Israel Adesanya Says Du Plessis Fight Isn’t Personal Despite ‘Blasphemous’ Comments

This fight has had a long time to build and in that time, things have been said that likely aren’t going to be forgiven and forgotten when the dust settles.

Du Plessis’ comments about being the first African champion kicked this feud off and whilst Adesanya wants to make him pay for that, he doesn’t believe that this bout is on the same level as some of his great rivalries in the past.

“The Last Stylebender” told Mike Bohn that he won’t move past what his next opponent said but that doesn’t mean it’s personal for him.

“Nah, I haven’t even fought the guy yet. Those rivalries with Whittaker and Pereira, those are etched in history. Me and this guy haven’t even fought yet. We tried to fight, it never happened, so now we’ll fight and set the score. But nah, it’s not really personal. What he said was blasphemous cuz without myself, Francis and Kamaru, he wouldn’t be able to be champion. So, what he said was really blasphemous and he’ll take accountability for what he said.”

Continue Reading Israel Adesanya Compares Dricus Du Plessis’ ‘Awkward’ Style With Former Opponent at MMA News.

Former Fighter On Du Plessis Getting Under Adesanya’s Skin: ‘Reacts Incredibly Emotionally’

Israel Adesanya faces a new test when he returns at UFC 305 to try and reclaim the middleweight title in a fight with Dricus Du Plessis. “The Last Stylebender” has had his rivals in the past and whilst his story with Alex Pereira has defined big parts of both men’s careers, and the likes of […]

Continue Reading Former Fighter On Du Plessis Getting Under Adesanya’s Skin: ‘Reacts Incredibly Emotionally’ at MMA News.

Israel Adesanya faces a new test when he returns at UFC 305 to try and reclaim the middleweight title in a fight with Dricus Du Plessis.

“The Last Stylebender” has had his rivals in the past and whilst his story with Alex Pereira has defined big parts of both men’s careers, and the likes of Marvin Vettori and Sean Strickland weren’t big fans of his, this one is different.

No opponent has been able to bring this kind of intensity out of the former champion quite like Du Plessis has. due to his comments on bringing the title back to Africa.

This opens up the debate whether Adesanya fights best when he’s relaxed or amped up.

Megan Anderson Says That Israel Adesanya’s Emotion Could Help Or Hinder Him At UFC 305

In a recent preview video of the UFC’s return to Perth on her own YouTube channel, former UFC fighter Megan Anderson spoke about the war of words between Du Plessis and Adesanya.

Things appeared to have calmed down (a little) on this front if their most recent encounter was anything to go by but there is clearly still some tension there which could come back around on fight week.

Anderson believes that Adesanya’s previous interactions with the champion don’t paint the best image for him unless, of course, he can use this dislike of Du Plessis to raise his game another level.

“If anything has shown us, anytime these two get together, Israel reacts incredibly emotionally. He is saying things that we’ve never heard him say before, he is really just going out there and just being so incredibly passionate about this. How much of that is Dricus really revving up this whole rivalry between them and this is getting under Israel’s skin, we’re going to find out. But, whether it hurts him or helps him perform, that’s the biggest question for me.”

Continue Reading Former Fighter On Du Plessis Getting Under Adesanya’s Skin: ‘Reacts Incredibly Emotionally’ at MMA News.

Coach backs Islam Makhachev to make huge middleweight move: ‘He’s that good’

Forever staking his claim for a move to the welterweight limit prior to his friend, Belal Muhammad’s title coronation…

Forever staking his claim for a move to the welterweight limit prior to his friend, Belal Muhammad’s title coronation at UFC 304 earlier this month, lightweight best, Islam Makhachev has now been backed to excel as high as middleweight, per his coach, Javier Mendez.

Makhachev, the current undisputed lightweight champion, has been sidelined since he headlined UFC 302 back in May, successfully defending his crown for a third time in a fifth round D’Arce choke submission win against former interim gold holder, Dustin Poirier.

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And expected to return at UFC 308 in October in Abu Dhabi, Makhachev has been ruled from the event amid an arm injury, which may require a surgical procedure to address – postponing an targeted rematch with number one contender, Arman Tsarukyan.

Instead booked to headline the Etihad Arena card – undisputed featherweight kingpin, Ilia Topuria draws the former champion, Max Holloway in a title grudge fight in the Middle East.

Islam Makhachev tipped to make middleweight leap

And while calling for a title fight with Leon Edwards ahead of UFC 304, Islam Makhachev has since cooled talk of a leap to 170lbs after his close friend, Muhammad lifted the crown in Manchester – and instead, has been tipped to succeed at middleweight in a huge two-division leap.

Islam Makhachev turns down fight with Michael Chandler you are unreliable dude

“That’s a good reason to fight Arman (Tsarukyan) or anybody else any you get the most defenses in the lightweight history,” Javier Mendez told Red Corner MMA. “I can’t believe three is the record. That’s just amazing how it turns over. So many fighters have won titles there but they never kept it more than three title defenses so Islam (Makhachev) will break the record and I want to see him go down as one of the greatest of all time.”

“And I believe he’s on track to do that,” Mendez explained. “So, him defending that lightweight title is on track for that. Then after that let’s see what happens – maybe Islam gains weight and goes [to] 185 [pounds]. I mean, he’d have to gain weight, obviously, because that’s a little big for him. You never know. He’s that good. Pound-for-pound number one for a reason.”

Do you think Islam Makhachev could excel at middleweight?

Coach Dismisses Outcome Of Decade-Old Sparring Session Between Adesanya & Du Plessis: ‘We’ve Heard Stories Of AJ Being Knocked Out In Boxing…’

Israel Adesanya’s striking coach, Michael Angove, recently brushed off the importance of an almost decade-old sparring session between “The Last Stylebender” and Dricus Du Plessis. Du Plessis is poised to defend his middleweight title for the first time in a highly anticipated grudge match against Adesanya, headlining the UFC 305 card at Perth’s RAC Arena […]

Continue Reading Coach Dismisses Outcome Of Decade-Old Sparring Session Between Adesanya & Du Plessis: ‘We’ve Heard Stories Of AJ Being Knocked Out In Boxing…’ at MMA News.

Israel Adesanya’s striking coach, Michael Angove, recently brushed off the importance of an almost decade-old sparring session between “The Last Stylebender” and Dricus Du Plessis.

Du Plessis is poised to defend his middleweight title for the first time in a highly anticipated grudge match against Adesanya, headlining the UFC 305 card at Perth’s RAC Arena in Western Australia on August 17.

Adesanya and Du Plessis have been on an inevitable trajectory toward each other long before their tempestuous confrontation in the Octagon at UFC 290 in July 2023. However, that explosive encounter was not their only meeting; their rivalry dates back to well before they became prominent figures in the world of MMA.

In a video that surfaced on social media last year, captured in 2016 at the Tiger Muay Thai training facility in Thailand, Du Plessis was seen sparring with former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. During this session, the South African unintentionally bumped into Adesanya. The brief encounter saw them exchange apologies before they resumed their separate training.

After the clip gained significant traction, both Adesanya and Du Plessis reflected on their past training session multiple times. The Nigerian-born Kiwi admitted to struggling in the grappling exchanges but claimed to have outshone “Stillknocks” in striking. In contrast, Du Plessis insisted that he “manhandled” his future opponent throughout the entire session.

However, Angove believes that the past has little bearing on the present…

Angove States One Training Session Doesn’t Ensure Du Plessis Will Outperform Adesanya Again

During a recent interview with The Scrap, Angove was questioned about the training session between Adesanya and Du Plessis. The City Kickboxing coach responded diplomatically, stressing that past events are irrelevant in the present context. He highlighted that both fighters, particularly his protégé, have undergone significant evolution since then.

“It is what it is, you know, it was 10 years ago, that’s a decade,” Angove said. “What happens in the training room and all those factors, I mean, we’ve heard stories of AJ [Anthony Joshua] being knocked out in boxing. You get guys who get chinned by sparring partners, but none of that matters because so much water has gone under the bridge. You know, one training session, once, when one guy got the better of someone in one particular exchange does not mean whooped his sh*t, to be honest.”

Angove further emphasized that Adesanya showcased robust takedown defense against formidable opponents like Yoel Romero and Derek Brunson, both known for their wrestling-heavy game. In contrast, Du Plessis was taken down by Brunson in their fight.

“Let’s not forget, Romero couldn’t hold Izzy down, couldn’t take him down. Derek Brunson couldn’t get him down, and we know that Derek took Dricus down. So, you know, time moves, and Dricus will have improved since then as well. But we don’t operate in this kind of time-free style. These guys are elite athletes who have developed so that they’re at the top of the MMA game, and that’s how we look at it.”

Read More: Dricus Du Plessis Warns Israel Adesanya Being At Peace Will Cost Him At UFC 305: ‘It’s A Dangerous Place To Be At…’

Continue Reading Coach Dismisses Outcome Of Decade-Old Sparring Session Between Adesanya & Du Plessis: ‘We’ve Heard Stories Of AJ Being Knocked Out In Boxing…’ at MMA News.

Israel Adesanya’s Coach Feels ‘Real African’ Comments From Dricus Du Plessis A Smart Marketing Ploy: ‘Conor Not Being Able To Get Inside Khabib’s Head…’

The main event of UFC 305 features one of the biggest rivalry match-ups of the year finally take place as middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis meets former titleholder Israel Adesanya. August 17 in Perth would have been a fight that fans were looking forward to regardless but comments that were made over a year ago, […]

Continue Reading Israel Adesanya’s Coach Feels ‘Real African’ Comments From Dricus Du Plessis A Smart Marketing Ploy: ‘Conor Not Being Able To Get Inside Khabib’s Head…’ at MMA News.

The main event of UFC 305 features one of the biggest rivalry match-ups of the year finally take place as middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis meets former titleholder Israel Adesanya.

August 17 in Perth would have been a fight that fans were looking forward to regardless but comments that were made over a year ago, at this point, have made this one drastically more tense.

Before he was even the number one contender, Du Plessis spoke about bringing the belt back to Africa as the first true African champion because he lives and trains in South Africa to this day.

A coach of Adesanya’s at City Kickboxing in New Zealand gives the champion credit for what he believes was an intentional move to stir the pot.

Michael Angove Says That Dricus Du Plessis’ Comments Were Intentional

Michael Angove spoke in a recent interview with The Scrap about Du Plessis’ comments that made this fight mean a whole lot more than Adesanya becoming a three-time champion.

Angove suggested that given Adesanya’s personality and pride, the current champion must have known that he would get a reaction by saying what he did.

“We may as well start there as that’s what kicked it all off. Dricus is many things but he isn’t stupid. That was a calculated statement, I make no apologies for suggesting that’s calculated. You know that a guy from Nigeria with ‘broken native’ written across his chest, with the continent of Africa across his chest, is going to feel very, very attached to his homeland.

“Clever marketing, well done Dricus, he knows the whole history of South Africa as well. That’s going to motivate people, it’s great, it’s built this fight to a much higher level than it might have been otherwise and here we are and I think there is a pretty fair degree of animosity there based on that. Great marketing, great way to get under someone’s skin and the world is now watching.”

Despite believing that Du Plessis made this personal on purpose, Angove doesn’t necessarily blame him for doing so.

He explained how both selling the fight and trying to emotionally manipulate an opponent are two aspects of the sport and they both matter at this level.

“That’s the nature of the fight game, it’s smart. Everyone plays both marketing and mind games and at the highest level, at the elite level, those things can make a difference. Conor not being able to get inside Khabib’s head made a difference. Conor not being able to get inside Nate Diaz’s head made a difference. You saw the difference when Conor made people insane with rage versus guys who were just focused and let it wash over them.”

Continue Reading Israel Adesanya’s Coach Feels ‘Real African’ Comments From Dricus Du Plessis A Smart Marketing Ploy: ‘Conor Not Being Able To Get Inside Khabib’s Head…’ at MMA News.