Dricus Du Plessis has absolutely baffled a former UFC world title challenger, who’s confused as to what makes him so good.
At UFC 312, the South African put on yet another impressive performance, beating Sean Strickland to retain his middleweight world title.
Du Plessis looked so good that one legend has backed him to beat Alex Pereira and Khamzat Chimaev.
But while ‘Stillknocks’ was able to produce a stellar showing, the world is still puzzled about how he managed to do it.
WOW: Belal Muhammad gives detailed breakdown on how he would beat Dricus Du Plessis
Chael Sonnen says Dricus Du Plessis is the most confusing fighter he’s ever seen
Chael Sonnen was a fantastic middleweight in his own right, with ‘The American’ Gangster coming agonizingly close to becoming world champion the first time he traded leather with Anderson Silva.
Since retiring, he’s become a respected analyst, making him the perfect man to discuss the landscape of his old division.
But even he is perplexed by what the reigning King of the 185-pound weight class is doing inside the octagon.
In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Sonnen claimed: “I am as confused by Dricus Du Plessis as anyone in the history of this sport that I have followed.
“I always thought Dricus was a better grappler than he was a striker — I’m not certain that’s true.
“His kickboxing is not as clean as Israel Adesanya or Alex Pereira — we’re not even in the same conversation. But he used that kickboxing, to defeat Israel Adesanya, who has beaten Alex Pereira. How do we just dismiss him?
“I have seen Dricus wrestle. He wrestled with Sean in the first fight, there was none in the second, but he wreslted him in the first contest, and he looked really good.
“He did not need a scramble or two or to set it up. This guy can wrestle, and moreover, nobody is out-wrestling him.”
Tom Aspinall tries to figure out what makes Dricus Du Plessis so tough to beat inside the cage
Since his arrival in the UFC, Tom Aspinall has proven himself to be a truly terrifying operator, with the ability to render unconscious anybody he connects with.
However, the powerhouse is much more than a mere puncher.
Having studied the sport for years, the Englishman has an analytical mindset that’s helped him climb his way to an interim world title.
With that in mind, Aspinall has analyzed Du Plessis and tried to work out why the best fighters in the world are struggling to beat him.