MMA news: ‘Easy payday!’ - Dricus Du Plessis responds to potential fight against Islam Makhachev
Islam Makhachev’s dominant win at UFC 311 has sparked talk of a potential middleweight showdown against Dricus Du Plessis.
While Makhachev has long expressed his desire to become a two-division champion, Du Plessis isn’t ruling out the challenge.
In this article, Sports News Blitz writer Niall Togher breaks down Du Plessis’ response, Makhachev’s ambitions, and what this matchup could mean for the UFC.
Makhachev eyes historic two-division leap
After securing a first-round submission win over Renato Moicano at UFC 311, lightweight champion Makhachev revealed he’d be open to a middleweight title fight against Du Plessis - if given the chance.
Makhachev has made no secret of his ambition to become a two-division champion.
However, with his friend and training partner Belal Muhammad holding the welterweight title, Makhachev could be forced to move up multiple weight classes if he wants to make this dream a reality.
Jumping from 155 to 185 pounds would be unprecedented, and if Makhachev were to win the title, it would rank among the most remarkable achievements in the sport’s history.
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Du Plessis open to Makhachev fight but focused on Strickland
In a recent interview on the mainevent YouTube channel ahead of his UFC 312 rematch against Sean Strickland, Du Plessis acknowledged Islam Makhachev’s dominant win while keeping the door open for a potential fight.
“It’s hard to really take it seriously right now, there’s a big fight coming up, so I didn’t make anything of it.
“He [Islam Makhachev] is an incredible fighter, make no mistake, he was so incredibly good against Moicano. He once again proved why he is the pound-for-pound best in the world,” Du Plessis said.
When asked about a possible matchup with Makhachev, Du Plessis was confident in his size and strength advantage.
“I don’t care how good you are. Obviously, he trains with 185ers in his gym, but he doesn’t train against me.
“Believe me, it’s not the same thing. Even on a technical level, his wrestling and grappling is phenomenal, but I’d just overpower him, that’s what I think.
“He’s a big lightweight but I’m a big middleweight, there’s a big difference between a big lightweight and a big middleweight but if there’s ever a situation where there’s no fight for me, no fight for him that makes sense then I’d be more than happy to do that.
“Easy payday!”
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