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Dricus du Plessis has made it clear that he wants a showdown with Alex Pereira after successfully defending his middleweight title at UFC 312. However, the South African isn’t overlooking the challenge posed by Khamzat Chimaev, whom he considers his next test before taking on a potential fight against ‘Poatan’.
While du Plessis has a well-rounded skill set, which includes grappling and wrestling, his potential clash with Pereira seemingly isn’t one without danger. Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman weighed in on the fight during a recent episode of the Pound 4 Pound with Kamaru Usman & Henry Cejudo Podcast, suggesting du Plessis might struggle against Pereira’s pinpoint striking, particularly his left hand.
Usman highlighted how Pereira’s left hand is uniquely fast and powerful, stating:
“DDP is more well-rounded for sure. DDP has got some wrestling, he’s got some grappling, he can choke you. But that pinpoint striking of Alex Pereira, that left hand has a radar on it. Somehow, because it comes from the hip, it comes so fast, it comes so hard. I just… I wouldn’t want to see that for DDP just yet.”
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Check out Kamaru Usman’s comments below (27:50):
Usman also mentioned that du Plessis still has challenges ahead in the middleweight division before considering a jump to light heavyweight. He believes that the South African must clear out contenders like Khamzat Chimaev and Nassourdine Imavov to establish his case for a fight against Pereira at light heavyweight.
Daniel Cormier reveals conversation with Alex Pereira after Dricus du Plessis callout at UFC 312
Daniel Cormier immediately spoke with Alex Pereira to get his thoughts after Dricus du Plessis called out the Brazilian at UFC 312 after his win over Sean Strickland.
Pereira brushed off the challenge claiming that du Plessis was “just too small.” Cormier noted how massive Pereira appeared compared to du Plessis and emphasized that while the South African has lofty goals, he still has work to do at middleweight before considering a move to light heavyweight.
Revealing the conversation he had with Pereira on his YouTube channel, Cormier said:
“In the octagon, he called out Pereira. I told Pereira after the fight, I go, ‘He wants you, Pereira.’ Pereira goes, ‘He’s just too small.’ Seriously. Pereira goes, ‘This man is just too small.’ Alex is huge, though. I mean, he looked massive compared to Dricus. I love that Dricus has these big goals. I just think he still has work at middleweight before he thinks about going up… Khamzat Chimaev being problem No. 1.”
Check out Daniel Cormier’s comments below (3:50):
Edited by Abhishek Nambiar
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