UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier is all aboard the Dricus du Plessis hype train in the wake of UFC 297.
Cormier has candidly expressed his initial doubts about Dricus Du Plessis and his unorthodox fighting style. The former UFC two-division champion, known as DC, admitted that he struggled to comprehend Du Plessis’ approach in the Octagon. However, his perception underwent a significant shift after witnessing the South African’s performance against Sean Strickland at UFC 297. In a closely contested bout that spanned five rounds, Du Plessis secured the middleweight title by split decision.
Despite the unconventional nature of ‘Stillknocks’ style, it proved effective against Strickland, prompting Cormier to acknowledge Du Plessis with well-deserved respect. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Cormier shared his newfound appreciation for Du Plessis, recognizing the uniqueness of his approach.
UFC 297: Daniel Cormier Applauds Dricus du Plessis Fight Style
“The amount of fight parties they had in South Africa to watch this guy is crazy,” Cormier remarked. “The entire country exploded when he became champion. I’ll tell you this, I never thought that we’d be here today where Dricus is the middleweight champion of the world. I didn’t know, but as he told me earlier in the weekend, as I now understand, he does things his own way.”
Cormier, a seasoned figure in the world of mixed martial arts, emphasized the diversity within the sport, acknowledging that not all styles look the same. Du Plessis’ distinctive style, once perplexing to Cormier, now appears to him as that of a true world champion.
“This dude ain’t scared of nothing,” Cormier praised Du Plessis. “He is confident in himself and his abilities. And why wouldn’t he be? He’s undefeated in the UFC, and he’s a UFC champion now. What a phenomenal performance by Dricus and hats off to him.”
Willing to Fight Anyone
Cormier isn’t sparing any compliments, describing Du Plessis’ performance as ‘phenomenal’ and highlighting the champion’s fearlessness in facing formidable opponents like Alex Pereira and potentially Khamzat Chimaev.
The question of Du Plessis’ next opponent remains open, but Cormier is eager to see the possibilities unfold. He speculates on potential matchups with two-time champion Israel Adesanya or the rising star Khamzat Chimaev, emphasizing the intriguing stories that could unfold in the octagon.
“I’m very interested to see what happens next, though,” Cormier remarked. “I wanna see if they try to turn him around for UFC 300 to maybe fight a Chimaev or maybe fight Adesanya. After that uncomfortable interaction inside the Octagon with Adesanya, I’m all in on that one.”
Cormier recognizes that sometimes the appeal of a fight lies in the narrative, and the story between Du Plessis and Adesanya has already been written in the minds of fight fans.
Keeping a keen eye on the aftermath, Cormier is also curious about Sean Strickland’s trajectory as he endeavors to rebuild himself as a championship contender or regain the UFC title. The unfolding chapters in the middleweight division promise more excitement and stories yet to be told.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
