Dricus Du Plessis has taken aim at both of his main contenders for the middleweight title after their respective callouts.
Sean Strickland is the top contender for Du Plessis after defeating Paulo Costa last time out at UFC 302 to retain his spot. But he faces some competition in Alex Pereira, the light-heavyweight champion who fancies a move back down to middleweight.
The American has said that he will gladly sit out and wait for his shot at the belt, but he could be leapfrogged by Pereira, who has previously held gold at 185lb. And Du Plessis now has options for his next world title defence.
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Alex Pereira calls out Dricus Du Plessis for middleweight title fight
Following Dricus Du Plessis‘ win over Israel Adesanya at UFC 305, there were a number of potential challengers lining up for the South African’s next defence. But the name that stood out was former champion Alex Pereira, who made his feelings clear on social media.
And now the Brazilian, who has since won and defended the light-heavyweight belt, has reiterated his offer to come back down in weight for the fight. Pereira is currently preparing to defend again at UFC 307 against Khalil Rountree Jr, but is then eyeing a move to 185lb one last time.
“I’m focused on my next fight and I’m going prepared but you never know what can happen,” Pereira wrote on Instagram alongside a picture of himself watching Du Plessis’ last win. “So regardless of the result I want to go down one more time to the middleweight and go for the belt.
“Hey Dricus, bring your will to fight me so you can prove that you are better than me, with your public statement it is easy to make this happen, Chama.”
Sean Strickland makes veiled callout for Dricus Du Plessis ‘war’
The fight at UFC 305 between Du Plessis and Adesanya enthralled the entire middleweight division, as well as fighters and fans around the world. Despite the two-time former champion clearly appearing to have the more polished skills, he couldn’t cope with the pace set out by the current title holder.
Du Plessis’s unorthodox striking and grappling made him a nuisance for Adesanya, who is a cleaner kickboxer. But many fighters including the likes of even Darren Till watched the bout and felt they would have enough to take the belt from him.
One key player in the division who was impressed was Sean Strickland, who took to social media to send a very brief message to Du Plessis. He mocked his rival’s family history in his post, writing: “Time for war Dutch man.”
Strickland has said that he would be willing to sit out and wait for a shot at the belt, having previously stayed very active in his run to the belt. And he also wants to dictate where the fight takes place, telling one fan that it must be at home in Nevada.
Asked where the fight should happen, Strickland wrote: “Vegas man.. I always travel. Let me fight in my country.. Unless you want me to go fix South Africa. We can go to Africa and fight in front of a bunch of white people lmao.”
Dricus Du Plessis claps back at Alex Pereira and Sean Strickland
In response to the various calls from Pereira and Strickland, Du Plessis sent his own message to both men. He is currently awaiting his next steps, but is in the enviable spot of having two of the sport’s biggest names chasing him.
“Alex Pereira, you and you boyfriend Sean Strickland can have a domestic dispute on who gets slept first,” Du Plessis wrote, before goading one fan who claimed he ‘looked like the michelin man’ after his fight with Strickland.
The initial bout between Du Plessis and Strickland in January was razor-close, with many fans feeling that the American had done enough to win. One judge even gave it to him, with the fight ending in a split decision.
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