"He’s one of the best, if not the best, in the UFC right now" - Dricus du Plessis showers praise on Ilia Topuria's meteoric rise

Dricus du Plessis recently discussed the UFC career of Ilia Topuria, who rose to prominence with his impressive performances inside the octagon. Du Plessis also regarded Topuria as a future Hall of Famer.

Last month at UFC 317, Topuria made history by becoming the 10th UFC fighter to hold belts in two weight classes and the first unbeaten fighter to do so when he viciously knocked out Charles Oliveira in the opening round.

Topuria's devastating power sparked praise from many, including du Plessis, who expressed his admiration for the Georgian-Spaniard in a recent interview with Betway South Africa, saying:

''I'm so happy for [Topuria]. I think, we made our debuts on the same fight card. He was literally in my changing room. We were on the same trajectory, winning our titles one month apart. So I'm super happy for him. I think he's one of those special characters. He's going to be a Hall of Famer, no doubt. Unbeaten, he's the first unbeaten guy to have two titles. So I'm super happy for him and I rate him very highly as an all-around fighter.''

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Du Plessis continued:

''Obviously striking power and knocking out three legends. I think he's incredible and in my opinion, he's one of the best, if not the best, in the UFC right now.''

Check out Dricus du Plessis' comments below (via Home of Fight X post):

Notably, Topuria and du Plessis made their octagon debut on the main card of UFC Fight Night 179 at the du Forum arena in Abu Dhabi in October, 2020. Both are yet to face defeat in the UFC.

Ex-UFC champion advises Dricus du Plessis ahead of his title defense at UFC 319

Dricus du Plessis is set to make his third middleweight title defense against Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of UFC 319 on Aug. 16 at the United Center in Chicago.

During the recent UFC Abu Dhabi's post-fight show on ESPN MMA, former middleweight kingpin Michael Bisping said du Plessis must consider a dominant approach towards Chimaev:

''Dricus Du Plessis, I mean, you cannot doubt this guy. He said he wants to fight Khamzat on the ground...[Chimaev] is going to get you down...That's how good Khamzat Chimaev is at wrestling. So if you try and just do everything you can to avoid him and get away and run, you're just running away the entire time. He's going to get you. Nah, screw that. Meet him head on. Fight him at his own game.''

Check out Michael Bisping's comments below (0:57):

About the author

Swagat is a dynamic MMA writer with a total experience of a little less than a year, which includes time in retail and sports journalism. He holds an MBA degree.

Swagat fell in love with the sport after watching the iconic grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in early 2015. Nate Diaz holds a special place in his heart for the Stockton native’s entertaining fan-friendly style and ability to deliver exciting fights regardless of the opponent.

In terms of rule changes in MMA, Swagat advocates for making scores public after each round, adding transparency to judging decisions.

Swagat prioritizes accuracy and relevance while writing and conducts thorough research to ensure the content is fresh and reliable.

He enjoys playing football and painting during his free time.

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Edited by Swagat Kumar Jena