Has Dricus Du Plessis’ Win Landed the UFC in a Dilemma? Is Alex Pereira a Much Bigger Fight Than Israel Adesanya or Khamzat Chimaev for UFC 300?

Dricus du Plessis finally realized his dream at UFC 297. He defeated Sean Strickland to become his native country’s first UFC champion. However, the South African may have spiced things up for Dana White as the UFC could have a difficult time choosing the next contender for the middleweight with a lot of available choices.

Dricus du Plessis has three potential opponents for his middleweight championship. Former 185 lbs champions Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira are two credible choices, while Khamzat Chimaev also poses as a possible contender for the title. Let us analyze the grounds on which du Plessis could consider fighting any of the aforementioned fighters.

A chance to settle the “real African” debate with Israel Adesanya

The beef between Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya was one of the highlights of 2023. They were scheduled to fight at UFC 293, but an injury suffered by the South African opened the doors for Sean Strickland to claim that opportunity. Now that du Plessis is the champion, there is a chance we might get to see him fight ‘The Last Stylebender’ next. Besides, ‘Stillknocks’ himself called out the former 2-time champion to come back to the UFC to “settle the score.”

The callout for Dricus du Plessis prompted a response from Israel Adesanya on social media. The Nigerian-born Kiwi fighter claimed that his fighting for the South African sensation was written in destiny. He promised his fans and followers a big announcement and it led many people to speculate that we might get to see him eventually fight du Plessis for the title.

Watch This Story: Best Highlights From UFC 297: Sean Strickland vs Dricus Du Plessis

Dricus du Plessis mentioned during the UFC 297 post-fight presser that he doesn’t think there is a need for him to fight Israel Adesanya. However, he wants to give the fans what they want, and apparently, a fight against ‘Izzy’ is what they are calling for. Meanwhile, let us take a look at another possible opponent who’s been making a lot of noise.

‘Stillknocks’ could consider making a statement with a win over Khamzat Chimaev

Khamzat Chimaev returned to action a few months ago after a year on the shelf. However, he returned as a middleweight and defeated Kamaru Usman in 185 lbs bout. Chimaev extended his undefeated record and speculations emerged that he was also in line for a title shot.

The Emirati fighter has been on a roll ever since he joined the UFC back in 2020 and has been calling for a title shot for a while. With his admission into the middleweight division, it doesn’t look like Dana White is going to give him a welterweight title shot in the near future. Hence, a middleweight title shot is not out of the question.

Khamzat Chimaev also revealed his interest in fighting for the middleweight title as soon as he can. He took to Twitter (X) and shared a message to Dricus du Plessis after his win, confessing that he wants to fight him at UFC 300 in April.

Although this fight favors Chimaev since he will be fighting for the belt, it is also a great opportunity for ‘Stillknocks’ to beat the dominant ‘Borz’ and make a statement as he moves on to bigger and better challenges. However, there is another fight that could favor du Plessis more than the opponent.

A chance to be a double champ for Dricus du Plessis against Alex Pereira

Alex Pereira has had one of the most unique journeys on his rise to become a two-division UFC champion. The Brazilian ace has had only 11 professional MMA fights and become a champion in two divisions in just seven UFC fights. He recently cornered Sean Strickland for his fight against Dricus du Plessis, who later mentioned fighting Pereira during his post-fight interview. Subsequently, ‘Poatan’ shared a post on Instagram, where he insinuated a return to the 185-pound division to become a double champion.

This could be an excellent opportunity for Dricus du Plessis. Alex Pereira is already the light heavyweight champion, and since ‘Stillknocks’ did not count out a possible move to the 205-pound division, he could find himself fighting in a winner-takes-all matchup against Pereira. Moreover, ‘Stillknocks’, who has also had 7 UFC fights till now, could also add another achievement by becoming one of the fastest fighters to reach the double champion status.

The aforementioned reasons make it clear that Dana White has a lot of thinking to do. Regardless, it is definite that he would choose to go with the option that will draw more people. The prospect of having the new middleweight champion go up against the light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira could also be a tempting option for the UFC CEO as well.

Read More: WATCH: Massive African Crowd Gives Middleweight Champ Dricus du Plessis a Goosebump Worthy Ovation After UFC 297 Sean Strickland Beatdown