They called him the most awkward champion in UFC history, but Dricus Du Plessis didn’t shy away from these statements. At the Qudos Arena in Australia, he proved worthy of holding the middleweight title, dominating and bloodying Sean Strickland for five straight rounds to retain his championship. For days, ‘Stillknocks’ promised that he would take Strickland to the deep waters, and when the time came, he submerged the former middleweight champion in the Australian waters. This victory has sealed the lips of every MMA pundit, who questioned Du Plessis’s unorthodox fighting style, including Daniel Cormier.

During his conversation with his audience on his YouTube handle, Cormier asserted that he was one of the few people who questioned Dricus Du Plessis’s fighting style but the South African made sure to shut up all the detractors. The former UFC heavyweight champ had said, “All the pundits, all the talking heads have told you why he isn’t as good as he has proven to be time and time again. Me being one of those guys, and me having an answer for that, me having to talk to Dricus about it—I’m done questioning him. I’m done ever saying that what he does isn’t what’s done by the best fighter in the world, because he is proving over and over again that he is.”

‘DC’ highlighted that the first clash between “Stillknocks” and ‘Tarzan’ was a razor-close battle, with Du Plessis taking a beating from Sean Strickland yet still emerging as the champion. But when the rematch rolled around, it was a completely different story. This time, ‘Stillknocks’ didn’t just win—he put on a masterclass, dominating Strickland from bell to bell while ensuring he walked away unscathed. Du Plessis threw head kicks, elbow blows, and multiple spinning back fists, leaving ‘Tarzan’ covered in blood.

Cormier further added, “But the way Dricus Du Plessis fights makes you fight him the way that he wants to fight. He makes you stop, he makes you wait because when you try to attack him, he’s so good at changing speed, changing direction, and hitting you from odd angles that you can’t really get a beat on him.

Many within the community had questioned Du Plessis’s fighting style but one thing is certain. He has been on a crusade to prove all of them wrong. So, what is the core strength of the South African fighter? Well, from Cormier’s analogy, it could be perceived that, unlike other fighters who excel in wrestling or striking, Du Plessis treads close to dangerous territory to take advantage, just as a whirlpool does to naval ships. However, his next challenge could emerge to be a tough prospect. Nevertheless, the champ has formulated a plan to overcome the obstacle.

Dricus Du Plessis has a curated plan to defeat Khamzat Chimaev

After successfully defending his title for the second time, Dricus Du Plessis is at the top of the middleweight food chain. However, another beast is eyeing the 185 lbs strap with hunger in his eyes. Khamzat Chimaev is next in the line to fight for the middleweight belt and appears to be the fan favorite to dethrone the champion. But after witnessing Du Plessis’s performance at UFC 312 things might have changed a little.

While conversing with the media at the post-fight press conference, ‘Stillknocks’ had disclosed his plans to counter Chimaev, “Counter the jab, oh no, that was the gameplan for Strickland, let me just think of something. The blitz, no, (that was) Rob. Yeah, I’ll just out-wrestle him, that’s the game plan.”

Down in the conversation, Du Plessis explained that he would like to face Chimaev in Africa, “I want to fight in South Africa and Africa really bad. It’s as much of a dream of mine as becoming and retaining the world title. The Khamzat fight, as big as it’s gonna be, obviously International Fight Week would be amazing but I promise you, what is International Fight Week if I can do this in Africa? I don’t even care. I will take a Fight Night in South Africa rather than International Fight Week.”

A clash between Chimaev and Du Plessis would mean a battle between two undefeated fighters under the UFC. Someone’s 0 has got to go and it will surely be a special occasion and venue to showcase the gold tier of the UFC. What are your thoughts on Dricus Du Plessis’s win and Cormier’s statement? State your thoughts in the comments below.