New Delhi: Daniel Cormier issued a strong warning to Islam Makhachev about not underestimating Dricus du Plessis after the reports of a potential fight between the two emerged on the internet. According to Cormier, du Plessis’ previous performances against elite middleweight fighters show how strong and formidable an opponent he is.
During a press conference after the UFC 311 fight, Makhachev expressed his wish to move up the order and fulfil his dreams of becoming a double champion, which he believes is important to his legacy. He also mentioned a possible fight with du Plessis.
But, his comments didn’t go well with the reigning middleweight champion who issued a strong warning and said that he would beat Makhachev easily and outclass him. The UFC Hall of Famer discussed the potential fight between Makhachev and du Plessis on his YouTube Channel last month and said that the South African could be a tough opponent for him.
Cormier said that he knows that it may not look as appealing to some fans as they want their world champions to look but, we just watched du Plessis submit Israel Adesanya, we have seen him beat Sean Strickland and we have seen him finish Robert Whittaker. He further added that at some point, we have to respect Dricus du Plessis.
“I think Islam respects him. I don’t know that Islam would understand how hard it would be to fight a guy of that size. I think this guy might weigh 220 when he’s not making weight…Now I’m not saying that he can’t do it, I just think that it’s much harder than I think anyone understands to go up two weight classes” Cormier added.
‘I think I have the keys to victory’: Islam Makhachev believes he can beat Dricus du Plessis
In an interview with Ushatayka, Islam Makhachev said that he knows how to beat Dricus du Plessis and he has watched his fight. He defended his title Renato Moicano after submitting him in the first round at UFC 311.
“I’m not saying that I can 100 percent finish Du Plessis, but watching his fights, his style, I think I have the keys to victory” Makhachev said.
Daniel Cormier issued a strong warning to Islam Makhachev about not underestimating Dricus du Plessis after the reports of a potential fight between the two emerged on the internet. UFC Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
