Dricus Du Plessis isn’t just clashing with Israel Adesanya; it looks like he’s picked a fight with a certain Dagestani powerhouse as well. Previously, Du Plessis voiced strong opposition to Islam Makhachev‘s ambition to become a double champion, despite Makhachev’s clear desire to conquer two divisions. As UFC 304 looms, the lightweight champion expressed interest in stepping up to the welterweight division to chase a second title. But with Belal Muhammad now holding the welterweight belt, Makhachev is reconsidering his options.

Eyeing the middleweight division, Makhachev’s new target has sparked outrage from Du Plessis. Adding to the drama, two UFC insiders, including one who has trained with Makhachev, have shared their own insights on who the Dagestani fighter might face next.

The tension is palpable as Makhachev weighs his next move and Du Plessis braces for a potential clash

Insiders talk about Israel Adesanya in the Dricus Du Plessis vs Islam Makhachev mix

‘Stillnocks’ seemed to be in the belief that Makhachev fighting him for middleweight gold was just an overreaching dream. On the other hand, Belal Muhammad praised Makhachev and said that he was more skilled than DDP. Even Makhachev’s teammates and coach Javier Mendez think that DDP would be an easy fight for the former.

However, Josh Thompson and John McCarthy think otherwise. Thompson said in the MMA Today episode, “ I think if he gets to his back, he finishes from the back. He’s able to finish and jump from the back or is he, able to catch in some sort of guillotine.” He also said that if Israel Adesanya won against Du Plessis at UFC 305, then Adesanya would be an easier fight for Makhachev.

McCarthy also pointed out, “And Izzy right now is the favorite,” so this fight would be more favorable. On the 9th of August Mendez appeared on the Submission Radio podcast. He was asked about the matchup between Makhachev and Du Plessis. The coach said, “It’s gonna go well because I mean, he’s, you know, the champ. He’s got good standup, he’s got good ground, and it’s gonna be one of those situations where it’s gonna be fought in all areas. For sure, you know. It’s going to be fought in all areas.”

On the other hand, Israel Adesanya has also shown some crazy prowess in the octagon and is a 2 time MW champ. The Dagestani camp is no 1 in the p4p rankings so according to Mendez, the fight with Izzy might not be so easy.

Javier Mendez on Israel Adesanya vs Islam Makhachev

The coach further continued in the podcast about the difficulty level of Izzy vs Makhachev. He said, “You know if he [Du Plessis] does lose his title to ‘Izzy’, which he very well could, you know if we had to fight ‘Izzy’, it’s gonna be a different type of fight.”

He said that It was going to be a ground battle for his pupil because fighting someone excellent in kickboxing is difficult. Mendez complimented Adesanya as a great fighter. So both Dricus Du Plessis and Adesanya might be difficult in different ways for the Russian champ.

The coach also pointed out that Makhachev was trying to get some weight and move to the MW category. However ‘Stillnocks’ said that Makhachev was dreaming too big. On top of that, Josh Thompson who has trained with Makhachev in the AKA gym knows about his skillset and thinks that Adesanya might be an easier fight.

Do you think Adesanya will win this time? Or will Makhachev fight DDP and fulfill his ‘big dream’?