Could Dricus du Plessis find success beyond the middleweight division?
“Stillknocks” is the reigning UFC Middleweight Champion with two successful title defenses. He’ll be looking to thwart the challenge of Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 on Aug. 16. While du Plessis would still have some worthy contenders to face if he defeats Chimaev, one former UFC fighter believes the 185-pound champion could eventually move up in weight.
Appearing on the “JAXXON Podcast,” Brendan Schaub discussed why it would make sense for Dricus du Plessis to eventually move up to light heavyweight, and even heavyweight at some point (via MMAFighting).
“I think for Islam it made sense,” Schaub said. “For Topuria, I still [think] he had some work to do, but for Makhachev it made sense to jump up to ‘70. He can definitely capture ‘55, ‘70. ‘85’s a different animal because you have guys like DDP and Khamzat.
“I think whoever wins out of Khamzat and DDP, whoever wins that can go for three belts. DDP’s bigger than Khamzat, so light heavyweight, he’s probably a light heavyweight naturally. So it makes sense for DDP to go to light heavyweight. Heavyweight’s not as far a stretch for him. DDP’s a big boy.”
Of course, du Plessis must first focus on handing Chimaev his first pro MMA loss. At the moment, the challenger is a slight betting favorite across multiple sportsbooks. It isn’t unfamiliar territory for du Plessis, who has defeated the likes of Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker to silence the doubters. The question is, can he do it again?
BJPenn.com will keep you posted on the latest UFC 319 updates. Stick with us on our homepage for the latest quotes from the fighters on the upcoming pay-per-view card. We’ll also update you on any potential changes to the card should unforeseen circumstances occur. Check back in with us on fight night for live results and video highlights.
