Dricus Du Plessis is setting his sights high as he prepares for his second middleweight title defense against Sean Strickland. While most fighters would be content with holding onto the middleweight belt, Du Plessis has much bigger aspirations, that include another title and more.
Going for titles in multiple weight divisions has become a bit of a norm in the UFC; at least the idea of it has. Conor McGregor did it first and became a superstar.
Since then, others like Daniel Cormier, Max Holloway, and Alex Pereira have also followed suit. Even Islam Makhachev hopes to one day! But for DDP, the dream doesn’t stop there either.
The South African fighter has revealed that his ultimate goal will be to cement his status as the greatest of all time. In a conversation with McKenzie Pavacich, the 185-pound champion revealed what drives him and said –
“I believe you have an ultimate goal, that is your driving factor. Because if you set your goal is to get into the UFC or be a UFC champion, and you reach that, what is next?
“The goal to be champion is one but there is many more to come. I also want to go up and get another belt and ultimately be seen as the greatest fighter to ever walk this earth.”
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However, DDP is not removed from reality at all. The middleweight division is a fantastic place to be if you want to be known as an active champion.
Fighters like Khamzat Chimaev are already waiting in line for their chance at the title, while others like Michael ‘Venom’ Page, and Nassourdine Imavov are expected to knock on the door momentarily.
Du Plessis has admitted that he still has a lot of work to do at 185 pounds before he can claim to have ‘cleared’ the division. And he is willing to go to any lengths to do so.
Du Plessis reveals his cold mindset
The South African has never been shy about letting people know exactly how he feels. His pre-fight shenanigans with Israel Adesanya and Strickland are a testament to that. And he’s more than happy to walk the talk.
Despite being joked about as the ‘best s**t fighter of all time’, Du Plessis is effective. Whatever he does, works and he keeps on winning. None of his peers seem to understand how but according to the champ, it’s because he is willing to kill a person inside the ring.
Asserting that he’s more than happy to sit on someone and pound away at their face till the referee makes him stop, DDP said –
“That is the question that me, as a modern-day gladiator have to ask myself: Am I still willing to die? Absolutely. That’s easy. It is, are you willing to kill a man in front of his family? Yes, I am, and that’s why I’m the world champion, because I say yes to that question every single time.”
️ Dricus du Plessis: “Am I willing to die? Absolutely, that’s easy. It’s ‘are you willing to kill a man in front of his family’. Yes, I am. That’s why I’m the world champion.”
@markbouris #UFC312pic.twitter.com/uI8mmNsHbk
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) February 3, 2025
DDP simply has no quarters to spare in a fight. This is probably why when Strickland asked him to be a ‘man’ and just take him in a striking contest, he declined it claiming lions and men have no pacts between them. He then pointed out that their first bout was a strikefest, with Strickland mostly defending and barely engaging.
Du Plessis feels Strickland’s style isn’t exactly exciting, and he’s ready to prove that again in their upcoming rematch in Sydney.
