Dricus Du Plessis Expects a 'Lot Less Callouts' After UFC 305 Title Defense

“Stillknocks” will look to defend his strap for the first time against Adesanya in the main event at UFC 305 on Aug. 17 in Perth, Australia. Adesanya has always been the benchmark of success for Du Plessis, who plans to put himself in middleweight GOAT conversations by besting “The Last Stylebender.”

“I’ve always looked at Israel Adesanya as the benchmark,” Du Plessis told Fox West Texas. “Now Izzy became a champion a long time ago and I’ve looked at him and always knew, ‘This is where I need to be if I ever wanna be the best in the world.’… He is one of the greatest to ever do it. And this fight for me is gonna put me in that position. This is where I take over as one of the greatest to ever do it.”

In addition to beating Adesanya, Du Plessis vows to do it in a manner which will have other middleweight contenders doubting themselves. The 30-year-old believes a lot of top middleweight contenders will shy away from an immediate title fight after his performance against Adesanya.

“I think I’m gonna have a lot less callouts, I can tell you that,” he said. “I think a lot less people are gonna be calling me out. I think a lot less Top 10, Top 5 guys are gonna go, ‘Nah, I wanna fight Dricus.’… I think there’s gonna be a lot of people saying, ‘No, maybe I need a couple of more before I go at the champ.’ I think that’s what’s gonna happen. I see myself planting doubt in every single contender in the middleweight division… They’re gonna realize this sport has changed forever and if you don’t change with it very quickly, if you don’t adapt very quickly, you’ll never be there. And I think it’s gonna change the game forever.”

Du Plessis won the title with a controversial split-decision win over Sean Strickland at UFC 297 in January. While “Stillknocks” eventually plans on moving up to light heavyweight, he is in no rush to do so. Du Plessis plans on defending his middleweight title until there are no contenders left.

“I’m not rushing it,” he said. “I’m a fan of defending your title at least three times and then going, ‘OK [move up].’ If there’s no contenders that really go: ‘Wow’… I’m looking to defend my belt now and then on to the next defense if there’s gonna be something that makes sense. And I’m definitely in no rush to go up to light heavyweight. I just see it as a goal in the future for me, but it’s definitely not something I’m rushing towards. I’m focused solely on defending this middleweight title as many times as it takes so it only makes sense to go up a weight division.”

Reference: https://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Dricus-Du-Plessis-Expects-a-Lot-Less-Callouts-After-UFC-305-Title-Defense-194164