Du Plessis sets sights on Chimaev, Pereira after UFC 312 triumph

Dricus du Plessis wants to fight Khamzat Chimaev after successfully defending his middleweight belt against Sean Strickland at UFC 312.

The South African beat Strickland in a dominant unanimous-decision victory in Sydney on Sunday, breaking the American’s nose en route to his second consecutive title defence.

After the fight, he was quick to signal who he would like to share the octagon with next.

“Khamzat’s first,” he said.

“I want to make sure that this belt, the middleweight title, that there’s no question that I’m the GOAT of the middleweight division.

“I know you have Anderson Silva — in my mind, he is the GOAT of this division — and you have [Israel] Adesanya, who has done incredible things.

“But it’s not about how many times you defend.

“It’s about who you fight, how you defend it, and how you’ve done it, what period of time you’ve done it, who you’ve fought — make sure that there’s no question that I am the best middleweight, and then going up.

“I want Khamzat next. I think he deserves a hiding.”

Du Plessis did not hide the fact that he has another fight on his mind as well, with light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira in his sights following a fight against Chimaev.

“I have the world respect for Alex Pereira,” he said.

“I think he is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

“I have the most respect for him, what he’s done in a short period of time in the UFC, to come from another sport, what he’s done there.

“But yes, I want to share the octagon with that man.

“I’ve beaten Adesanya, who has beaten him.

“I know I can beat him, and at 205 pounds, 100%.”

Pereira takes on Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 in Las Vegas on March 8, with UFC betting sites unable to split the two a month out from the fight.

Bovada has each fighter at -111.11 to win, but du Plessis knows where his allegiances lie.

“I said [to Pereira], ‘Please beat Ankalaev’,” he said.

“No hate against Ankalaev; I just want to beat Alex Pereira.

“It’s nothing personal against Ankalaev, it’s just Pereira.

“He’s such a legend in this sport to me already that it would be amazing to beat him for my legacy.

“I want to be the greatest to ever do this.”

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