Dricus du Plessis has some advice for Alex Pereira if he’s thinking about returning to the middleweight division.
Fresh off his victory over Israel Adesanya at UFC 305, where he secured a submission win in the fourth round, du Plessis didn’t waste any time responding to Pereira’s latest social media post. Pereira, who moved up to light heavyweight after losing to Adesanya in their rematch in 2023, posted a picture of himself in front of the post-fight celebration, with the caption: “Coming down to 185 one more time.”
Pereira has been on a roll since moving to light heavyweight, racking up a series of wins, including three title defences. He’s set to face Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307 in his fourth title fight at 205 pounds. But if he’s serious about dropping back down to middleweight, du Plessis says he’s ready, though he doesn’t think Pereira will like what he finds.
Dricus du Plessis Responds to UFC light heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira
“I honestly don’t think Alex Pereira should drop down to 185,” du Plessis said during the UFC 305 post-fight press conference. “If he wants to, great, perfect. But then we’re going to hear the excuses. I saw Izzy stiff that man in the first round. I felt Izzy’s punching power tonight. Izzy has great timing, he’s fast, he’s long and he has great combinations, but I felt the power.
“If Izzy stiffens you like that, you do not want to be in there with me, especially not when you’ve got to come in there with the excuses, ‘Oh, I cut too much weight.’ That’s going to happen. Everybody’s going to say it.”
Dricus Du Plessis isn’t eager to fight a potentially drained Pereira after a tough weight cut. He’d rather focus on defending his middleweight title and then, maybe, pack on some muscle to challenge for the light heavyweight belt himself.
“Stay at 205, fight your fight against the No. 8 ranked guy,” du Plessis advised, referring to Pereira’s upcoming bout with Rountree. “Fight your fight there and enjoy it. If Strickland is the next fight, the people want to see that fight — if that’s the fight that people want to see and that’s the fight right now people think is the next best guy, then it’s the fight that I want. So let me handle my business, you handle your business.
“You don’t have to cut the weight so you have some sort of excuse. I’ll come up after the Strickland fight. I’ll come up to 205 and we’ll sort it out there.”
Dricus du Plessis Welcomes Alex Pereira Challenge
However, du Plessis made it clear that he’s not actively pursuing a light heavyweight title. He’s more interested in solidifying his legacy as the best middleweight in the sport. In his view, chasing a “champ-champ” status isn’t as important as proving he’s the top contender in his current weight class.
“If that’s what the UFC wants, I’ll be ready for it right now,” du Plessis said. “But I’m not chasing that. I believe to be considered the greatest to ever do this sport, I need to be considered as the greatest middleweight first.”
Du Plessis isn’t lacking in confidence when it comes to his accomplishments. He’s the first fighter to defeat Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker, two of the sport’s biggest names. He’s also quick to remind everyone of his victories over some of the best fighters in the pound-for-pound rankings.
“I’m the first guy to beat Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker. I’ve beaten three of the top 20 pound-for-pound fighters, so can I please get back in the top 10? I beat Strickland, I beat Whittaker, and I beat Adesanya. I haven’t been on social media. I can’t wait to see what the critics say now.”
Focus on the Middleweight Division
While du Plessis isn’t ruling out a fight with Pereira, his primary focus remains on dominating the middleweight division. He wants to establish himself as the best in his weight class before even thinking about moving up to light heavyweight.
Still, if the UFC decides that a clash between du Plessis and Pereira at 205 pounds is in the cards, the South African fighter says he’ll be ready. But for now, his mission is clear: take care of business in the middleweight division and continue building his legacy as one of the sport’s all-time greats.
Pereira may be eyeing a return to 185 pounds, but Dricus du Plessis believes that if he does, the Brazilian fighter might regret it. And if their paths do cross, whether at middleweight or light heavyweight, du Plessis is confident he’ll come out on top.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images and Embed from Getty Images
