Dricus du Plessis shared a surprising answer about getting the next title shot at 185 lbs following his main event win at UFC Oklahoma City.
Du Plessis defeated former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman via unanimous decision in the UFC OKC headliner in what was a back-and-forth war between two veteran fighters who stood in the center of the Octagon and traded for 25 minutes. In the end, du Plessis was the more effective striker and deserved to get his hand raised by UD.
It was a massive win for du Plessis as he got back into the win column after losing the UFC middleweight championship to Khamzat Chimaev last August at UFC 319, as it keeps him installed as the No. 2-ranked middleweight fighter in the Meta UFC rankings.
But while he could have easily called for a title shot against UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland next, du Plessis says he will be patient instead.
Dricus du Plessis Willing to Wait for Middleweight Title Shot
Speaking to Full Send MMA, du Plessis said that he is willing to wait for a title shot against Strickland, as he believes Nassourdine Imavov deserves to fight for the belt first.
âMy man, Sean Strickland knows I have all the respect in the world for him. In a different life, I might even call us friends. But there’s one thing that I would say. He said he would be ready in December. Fight Imavov, get a title defense. He earned that. I will give him that. And after that Iâll come and take my belt back,â du Plessis said.
It’s a bit of a surprise to hear du Plessis say this, as this timeline would mean that he wouldn’t be fighting the Strickland vs. Imavov winner until 2027, since Strickland won’t be ready to defend his belt until the end of the year. But at the same time, it’s commendable that du Plessis realizes that Imavov — who has won five straight fights and who has been waiting for a title shot for almost a year now — should get his crack at the belt first.
What Will Dricus du Plessis Do in the Meantime?
Should Strickland fight Imavov next, then it could put du Plessis potentially in line to take another fight in the meantime while he waits for his title shot, as otherwise he could be on the shelf himself for over a year waiting for a crack at the belt.
A rematch against Chimaev is certainly possible, as Chimaev looked beatable when he fought Strickland at UFC 328. Another option is a fight against Brendan Allen, a top contender who called out du Plessis on social media after he beat Usman. There’s also Joe Pyfer, another rising star in the weight class who is close to a title shot, too.
While du Plessis does have two previous wins over Strickland and would likely be favored to beat the current champ, just based on timing right now, he may have to wait to get his next title shot.
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