Dricus du Plessis Claims Former UFC Welterweight Champion Doesn’t Want to Fight Him
Dricus du Plessis wants to take on a former UFC welterweight champion who is planning to move up to 185 pounds again. However, the bout won’t materialize as the latter has no intention of throwing down with “Stillknocks.”
Du Plessis lost his middleweight title to Khamzat Chimaev last year at UFC 319. After the title loss, the South African has yet to return to the octagon. In the meantime, he is sharpening his ground game and has promised a strong comeback.
In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, “Stillknocks” made it clear he’s willing to face any opponent necessary to secure a chance of reclaiming what he lost to Chimaev last year. He’s also game to fight the legendary Kamaru Usman. However, as per the 32-year-old, “The Nigerian Nightmare” is not interested.
“I never got that offer [to fight Kamaru Usman]. If they had given me that offer, I would have taken that fight. He has his reasons for that, and his team, too. Maybe they don’t like the style, maybe they don’t like the fight. But yeah, 100%, I had just had the belt. It’s not like I’m a former champion from years ago; I literally just lost the belt. So if you’re looking for that title shot, that fight makes a lot of sense.”
Check out Dricus du Plessis’ comments below:
Kamaru Usman also said he was offered a fight against Dricus du Plessis
Recently, Kamaru Usman also claimed that he was offered a fight against Dricus du Plessis. However, Usman, who’s 38 years old and at the tail end of his career, wants to take “meaningful” bouts that will get him closer to the title. On Pound 4 Pound, he said:
“Dricus du Plessis was presented to me… The thing is, with me, it has to be meaningful. I’m not just here to fight the fight. If it gets me to the title that I want, that’s what I want.”
Check out Kamaru Usman’s comments below:
Usman had his crosshairs on 170-pound champion Islam Makhachev. He wanted to dethrone the Russian and then move up to middleweight for a rematch with champion Khamzat Chimaev.
However, in 2026, Usman’s plans to become a two-division UFC champion seem already dashed, as Makhachev is expected to face either Michael Morales or Ian Machado Garry next, and “Borz” will most likely defend his title against Sean Strickland or Nassourdine Imavov.
