Dricus du Plessis felt that a significant fight opportunity diminished after last weekend’s UFC event.
In the UFC 313 main event, Magomed Ankalaev defeated Alex Pereira, winning the light heavyweight title. This victory might have disrupted Pereira’s ambitions to pursue championships in different weight classes. Du Plessis was one champion Pereira might have targeted, especially considering Du Plessis had previously expressed interest in fighting Pereira if he moved back down to the middleweight division.
Pereira, who previously held the UFC middleweight title after defeating Israel Adesanya in 2022, lost it back to Adesanya in a rematch before moving to light heavyweight. He has often mentioned possibly competing at heavyweight or returning to middleweight. However, du Plessis believes Pereira’s recent defeat reduces his options and makes a fight between them less likely.
“Thanks, Ankalaev, for costing me a big payday,” du Plessis commented in a YouTube video blog. “It’s not personal. The mystique is gone.”
Du Plessis shared these thoughts immediately after UFC 313 concluded, being critical of Pereira’s performance. The South African fighter has previously stated he believes he has the right strategy to counter Pereira’s striking skills and even predicted he could knock Pereira out if they were to fight.
Although Ankalaev didn’t secure a finish against Pereira, he won the fight on points, and du Plessis believes Ankalaev demonstrated the necessary approach to neutralize Pereira’s fighting style.
“Look, I said it from the start,” du Plessis remarked while watching the fight live. “If you engage Pereira, he can’t fight effectively. See, he’s just waiting. He’s waiting to counter. And people pay to watch this…”
