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A former UFC champion has recently voiced dissent over Dricus Du Plessis' stance on the merit of Khamzat Chimaev securing a middleweight title shot.
Dricus Du Plessis is gearing up to challenge Sean Strickland for the 185-pound championship in the main event of UFC 297, scheduled to take place on Jan. 20 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada.
Chimaev is among those waiting for an opportunity to face the winner. 'Borz' secured his position as the next title contender by defeating Kamaru Usman at UFC 294 last October. Furthermore, the undefeated Russian has recently expressed his anticipation of facing Strickland after UFC 297.
However, in an interview with MMA Junkie, Du Plessis rejected Chimaev's desire for a title shot. He stated that in the event of his victory on Jan. 20, he would fight former champion Israel Adesanya, with whom he has a heated history.
During a recent video on his YouTube channel, former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping dismissed Du Plessis' remarks:
"Love him or hate him, he [Chimaev] brings eyeballs, he brings a lot of tensions, he brings a lot of drama as well. I don't think Du Plessis is the type of guy to duck somebody. I don't think he's trying to pick easy fights, Israel Adesanya is not an easy fight. But I think maybe for him, he just wants to fight Israel Adesanya because of their beef."
Check out Michael Bisping's comments below (5:38):
Dricus Du Plessis anticipates "Fight of the Year" worthy showdown against Sean Strickland
Dricus Du Plessis envisions his upcoming bout with Sean Strickland as a possible contender for Fight of the Year, provided the middleweight champion can withstand his assault.
During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, 'Stillknocks' declared that although he possesses the endurance to go the entire distance with Strickland, he predicts the bout concluding with a decisive finish. Du Plessis said:
"This fight is not going to distance, there is no way. He's a guy that walks forward, I'm a guy that likes to go forward... I can promise you this, I've never been involved in a boring fight... If he can stay standing, if he can take what I give, this is a Fight of the Year contender, 100 percent."
Check out Dricus Du Plessis' comments below (10:18):
