Dricus Du Plessis, the reigning middleweight champion, has a strong opinion on the potential rematch between Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev. He finds the idea of a rematch 'ridiculous' and believes it doesn't make sense, especially given the current landscape of the division.
Du Plessis, who is set to defend his title against Kamaru Usman at UFC Fight Night 281, argues that Chimaev is not deserving of another shot at Strickland. He defended his title twice against Strickland and Israel Adesanya, and he feels that Chimaev's performance in their previous encounter was not strong enough to warrant an immediate rematch.
In an interview with Submission Radio, Du Plessis expressed his frustration with the idea of a rematch, stating, 'Between Sean and Khamzat, there's no title defenses. I defended my title twice against Strickland and (Israel) Adesanya. The Khamzat rematch is ridiculous. It doesn't make any sense. If they do it, it's ridiculous. It will be crazy, but let them do what they need to do.'
He further emphasized his point by saying, 'I'll just fight my way back to – after my performance, let my performance speak. Right now I don't have anything to say. I can't really say anything because I got beaten in my last fight, so you can't really say too much, but my fight is days away, and I'll do my talking there. I'll prove once again why I'm the best in the world.'
When asked who he would rather fight if Strickland and Chimaev were to have a rematch, Du Plessis had a clear preference. He said, 'Obviously Khamzat would be the preference, but it's about being the champion. I'm not chasing people. I'm chasing being the best. Khamzat, I'll get him. If he goes up eventually, I'll get him there. But if he becomes champion, I would prefer to fight him and get that win back, but it's not something that I'm set on, but he does not deserve another title shot.'
Du Plessis' comments highlight his determination to maintain his position as the top contender in the middleweight division. He is focused on his own path to the championship and believes that Chimaev's performance in their previous encounter was not strong enough to warrant an immediate rematch. His words carry weight and could influence the UFC's decision-making process regarding future title fights.
