The highly anticipated clash between Alex Pereira and Khalil Rountree Jr. lived up to the hype surrounding it. Both fighters put on a striking clinic for the fans and delivered what they promised. However, the power of the champion proved too much to handle for ‘The War Horse,’ and the fight ended brutally in the fourth round.

Pereira has now defended his title for the third time in 2024. And mind you, he has slayed the most elite fighters in his division. He previously showed his interest in moving down to the middleweight division to challenge the champion, Dricus Du Plessis. and even hinting at a heavyweight showdown against the eventual champion. However, former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley has reminded him of the threats.

Alex Pereira might struggle against Du Plessis feels Sean O’Malley

At UFC 305, Dricus Du Plessis defended his title against Israel Adesanya with a submission victory in the fourth round. After the fight, Alex Pereira took to his Instagram account and shared a caption, “Going back to 185 once again.” Not to forget, the Brazilian previously held the title in the division before losing it to Adesanya at UFC 287. However, during his UFC 307 post-fight interview, he made it clear that he is enjoying his time in the division and has no plans to move down to the middleweight as of now. But what happens if the pair ever takes on each other in the middleweight division? ‘Suga’ has the answer for you.

Sean O’Malley recently took to his YouTube channel to watch the UFC 307 fight and seemed highly impressed with the Brazilian. ‘Poatan’ displayed his all-round game this time around and mapped out his opponent before knocking him out. So what’s next for him? Should he go down to middleweight and challenge the champion? O’Malley doesn’t quite feel it’s the right option, as he has struggled previously with the weight cut and lost quite a bit of power. However, he did remind Pereira of the possible threats he might face from ‘Stillknocks.’

‘Suga’ said, “I don’t know! DDP is a serious problem. I feel like if DDP could get a hold of him and just kind of drag him down make it a dirty fight like that. Him and DDP is an interesting fight it’s not a guaranteed fight. Alex Pereira knocks him out. DDP is a dog and there is a 100% chance that Pereira could get taken down by DDP. DDP could I mean you could risk getting knocked out going for the takedown. But I mean it’s hard to say unless a fight happens. But yeah, that would be so f..ng sweet.”

Dricus Du Plessis is pretty much aware that Pereira has shown interest in fighting him. However, the middleweight king is unfazed by the call-out and already has an opponent in mind. Surprisingly, neither Sean Strickland nor Alex Pereira is on his hit list as revealed by the South African’s coach.

Dricus Du Plessis and his next opponent revealed by coach Morne Vissar might surprise fans

Following his impressive victory at UFC 305, Du Plessis has become a target for many fighters. Sean Strickland, who lost his belt to Du Plessis in a closely contested decision at UFC 297, has been vocal about his desire for a rematch. While Du Plessis has expressed openness to the idea, his coach Morne Vissar seems less enthusiastic about granting ‘Tarzan’ another opportunity.

Vissar recently sat down for a chat with ‘Submission Radio’ and gave out details of his next fights. He said, “My honest opinion is that next in line for us will be Whittaker in Sydney in February,” While many fans are eager to see a rematch between Du Plessis and Strickland, his coach believes that Strickland needs to prove himself further to earn a title shot.

The upcoming UFC 308 event could be a significant opportunity for Robert Whittaker to secure a title shot with a victory. Although Du Plessis’ next opponent has not been officially announced, the anticipation for his next title defense is high.

Who do you guys want to see Dricus Du Plessis take on next in his second title defense? Let us know your picks in the comments below.