UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis is one of the current longest reigning champions in the promotion and he is full of praise regarding one of the other current champions.
In just a few weeks time, Dricus Du Plessis will defend his 185lb title for the third time when he takes on Khamzat Chimaev in the UFC 319 main event in Chicago.
Ahead of their clash, UFC legend Din Thomas has claimed that Chimaev winning the title from Du Plessis would be a ‘disaster’ for the sport despite his clear star power.
However, before ‘Borz’ realises his success as a UFC champion, he must get past ‘Stillknocks’ who stands as one of the most unique champions ever.
Du Plessis on which champion he believes is the most dominant
Despite having only become the middleweight champion at the start of last year, the South African is one of the longest reigning current champions in the promotion.
And although he has received a lot of criticism over the years for his fight style and what seemed like a lack of cardio, Du Plessis has become one of the toughest puzzles to crack in the sport.
And ahead of his clash against Chimaev on August 16, ‘Stillknocks’ has revealed who he thinks is the most dominant champion in the sport and who he thinks will be reigning over their division ‘for a very long time’.
“(Tom Aspinall) is incredible, it’s pretty easy to, you know, the first time you saw, he also made his debut on my debut card, the first time you saw Tom Aspinall fight, you knew there was something special,” Du Plessis told Betway.
“He’s almost the next generation of heavyweights, in my opinion, where he moves like a middleweight, he’s light on his feet, he can grapple, he can strike, he can wrestle, so I’m really happy for him, I think he’s gonna be a great champion and I think he’s gonna be a champion for a long time.
“I don’t think there’s a lot of heavyweights if any on his level right now, he’s a great guy… He’s gonna be a great champion,” Du Plessis continued.
Tom Aspinall and Du Plessis had their come ups in the promotion during the same era and now both reign alongside each other in their respective divisions.
Du Plessis also waxes lyrical over Ilia Topuria
The South African has also praised current lightweight champion Ilia Topuria, who he has claimed is a guaranteed future UFC Hall of Famer.
“We made our debuts on the same fight card, he was in my changing room, we were on the same trajectory winning our titles one month apart. He’s one of those special characters who’s gonna be a Hall of Famer, no doubt,” Du Plessis said.