“A Very Very Hard Fight for Dricus” – Team Sean O’Malley Spells Serious Trouble for Dricus Du Plessis in Fighting MW Veteran

In 2023, fans were wondering who would get the next title shot: Dricus Du Plessis or Jared Cannonier. Well, it was the South African export who got the opportunity, snatched the belt from Sean Strickland, and even defended it twice. Now, as per Dana White’s admission, Khamzat Chimaev is next in line to fight for the title. DDP versus ‘Borz’ will be huge, but in the shadows, is there a veteran quietly waiting for his turn to win the middleweight title?

Well, if you ask Sean O’Malley’s coach Tim Welch, he believes so! Sure, DDP is standing at the pinnacle of the division and is on a mission to cement his legacy, but a prolific striker with 11 KO/TKO wins could put him in danger.

Welch, on his podcast on YouTube, said: “Dude the thing about Jared though, he could be a very very hard fight for Dricus. […] And the way Dricus’s chin kind of comes up in the air. And the way Jared thuds dude and Jared’s good for five rounds too. He’s got crazy cardio too. Man, it just may be one more and they will be talking about him for the title shot.” 

Jared Cannonier is coming off a TKO win over Gregory Rodrigues at UFC Fight Night 251 – Cannonier vs. Rodrigues. While the #7 ranked fighter is surely a formidable opponent, there are other names who are rallying for a title shot. For instance, Chimaev is next, but we also have #1 ranked Nassourdine Imavov (who most recently defeated Adesanya) and #6 ranked Caio Borralho, who are waiting for their turns.

Joe ‘Diesel’ Riggs, who joined Welch in the discussion, stated: “Jared has got a perfect blend between speed and power. He is just very fast, and he hots very hard. And he is durable. He can take a shot.”

Welch continued and shared: “The thing that happened with Imavov, when he hit Jared, Jared stumbled, Jared could have very easily could have come back and won that fight. That was a pretty bad stoppage.”

It is true that 2024 was a tough year for ‘The Killa Gorilla’, who suffered back-to-back losses; first against Nassourdine Imavov (TKO loss) and then against Caio Borralho (unanimous decision loss).

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However, 2025 has been kind. ‘The Killa Gorilla’ roared back into the win in dominant fashion, stopping Gregory Rodrigues with a barrage of punches in the fourth round. The 40-year-old has shown interest in fighting Robert Whittaker next and said, “Maybe a Robert Whittaker matchup.” And it seems Michael Bisping also feels it’s the right decision for both fighters.

Michael Bisping gives his green signal to Whittaker vs. Cannonier 2

Jared Cannonier has a few names in mind for his next fight, but he’s not holding his breath. Despite his dominant victory, the seasoned veteran knows that getting the matchups he wants in the UFC’s deep middleweight division is no easy task. While the options are there, turning them into reality is a different challenge altogether.

One such fighter who he wants to fight is Robert Whittaker, who is himself looking to make his way back towards title contention. The former champion was last seen in action at UFC 308, where he took on Khamzat Chimaev. However, the fight ended in the first round with ‘Borz’ making easy work of ‘The Reaper’.

After closely watching Cannonier’s recent performance, Bisping feels both fighters will help each other in the division next. For the uninitiated, ‘Bobby Knuckles’ previously fought Cannonier five years ago at UFC 254, where the Aussie ace secured a unanimous decision victory.

‘The Count’ believes this is the ideal chance for Whittaker to climb his way back into title contention—potentially setting up a rematch with ‘Borz’. He took to his YouTube channel and said, “To beat somebody that he has beaten before. And of course, for Jared Cannonier—at 40 years old—Robert Whittaker is a massive household name in mixed martial arts. So that makes all the sense in the world.”

Meanwhile, Whittaker is focused on recovering from injury and is determined to reinsert himself into the title conversation. ‘The Reaper’ has shared that he is using this time to refine his skill set, making sure he comes back sharper than ever.

Until then, fans will have to wait and watch what happens next. Do you think Cannonier and Whittaker should fight? Let us know in the comments below.