Dricus Du Plessis proves that ‘Stillknocks 2.0’ is ready for another UFC title shot
Former UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis‘ title loss to Khamzat Chimaev was so one-sided it was embarrassing. The big South African, who had steamrollered his way to the 185-pound title, was rendered completely helpless by Chimaev’s smothering wrestling game. All the power, gas tank and pressure counts for nothing if you’re trapped on the mat, and that was Du Plessis’ fight, for five long, frustrating rounds.
It meant that, after losing the belt, he only had one option; to get back in the gym and work on his shortcomings. And in his comeback fight against Kamaru Usman in Oklahoma City, it looked like he had done exactly that. He called the latest iteration of himself “Stillknocks 2.0”, and based on his performance at Paycom Center on Saturday night, he looks ready to return to the top of the middleweight division.
Du Plessis showed improved takedown defense against Usman, which allowed him to impose his trademark fighting approach on “The Nigerian Nightmare” as he rocked the former undisputed welterweight champion on several occasions en route to a landslide decision victory.
It was one of the best showings we’ve seen from Du Plessis in the Octagon, and proved that he is ready for another shot at championship gold. To make things even more tantalizing for the South African, Du Plessis wouldn’t have to face Chimaev for the belt. Instead, he’ll have to take on current champion Sean Strickland, a man he’s defeated twice in world title fights already.
The only potential issue is the presence of French contender Nassourdine Imavov, who sits at the front of the middleweight queue, and is deserving of his own shot at championship gold. If Strickland is ready to go, booking that fight probably makes more sense for the division, but in terms of pure box office pull, a third fight between Strickland and Du Plessis would seem to carry greater weight.
There’s always the option of Du Plessis and Imavov facing off for the honor of taking on Strickland next. Of the three potential matchups at play, the title eliminator might just be the best fight of the lot.
The UFC has a new Diaz brother on their hands
When the sport’s big stars start to age their way out of the sport, there are often discussions over where the UFC’s next heroes will come from. But the world of sport always seems to find a way to generate new stars, and there’s a chance we got a glimpse of a new one on Saturday night.
Featherweight Tommy McMillen was only competing in his second UFC fight, but everything about his performance at UFC Oklahoma City suggested that he could one day become one of the UFC’s big fan-favorite fighters.
His devil-may-care approach and offensive fighting style evoked memories of the Diaz brothers in their prime, with McMillen piecing up the talented, but outgunned, Alberto Montes at Paycom Center on Saturday night.
It was a real statement performance from McMillen, who carries a similar air of star power to a certain Sean O’Malley, who he trains alongside in Arizona. But while “The Suga Show” leans towards flashy, spectacular striking, “Tommy Gun” is all violence. His non-stop barrage of strikes against Montes saw him break the all-time featherweight record for significant strikes in a three-round fight. It also earned him a cool six-figure bonus at the end of the night. To cap it off, he delivered the sort of post-fight promo a WWE superstar would have been proud of.
In an era where the fighters seemingly need to entertain as much as they win, McMillen looks tailor made for the latest era of the UFC. And if he is able to win more than he loses, he could quickly become one of the sport’s biggest rising stars.
