Dricus Du Plessis Focused on Title Return, Calls Out Brendan Allen's Challenge
- MMA fighter Dricus Du Plessis dismissed speculation about his next opponent, Brendan Allen, amid growing middleweight buzz
- The former champion confidently indicated he is focused on strategic matchups to regain his title
- Brendan Allen clapped back at Du Plessis with a fiery response, emphasising recovery and timing over confrontation
South African former UFC champion Dricus du Plessis has criticised his potential next opponent, Brendan Allen, in a fiery statement. Du Plessis lost his title in August 2025 after being dominated by Russian fighter Khamzat Chimaev in one of the most one-sided bouts of the year. He has been eagerly waiting to return to the octagon to reclaim his belt.
Source: Getty Images
With rumours circulating that “Stillknocks”, as he is known to his fans, could face Allen next, Du Plessis has abruptly dismissed the possibility, calling Allen an “idiot”.
Brendan Allen is on the rise in the Middleweight rankings
Brendan Allen has been steadily climbing the middleweight rankings, securing consecutive victories over Reinier de Ridder and former title challenger Marvin Vettori. Following his shock win against de Ridder at UFC Vancouver in October, Allen suggested a potential clash with Dricus du Plessis could happen if their schedules aligned.
Speaking on Fight Forecast in December, Du Plessis explained why fighting Allen did not make sense for him at this stage.
Du Plessis said that winning two fights in a row did not give Allen the right to call out former champions. He added that although he would enjoy fighting Allen and described him as an idiot, he believed a champion should only face the very best, and he always aimed to fight the top contender available.
Before his defeat to Chimaev, Du Plessis had notable wins over Sean Strickland in February 2025 and Israel Adesanya in 2024. Over the past few years, he has consistently faced top-tier competition at 185 pounds, defeating former champions Adesanya, Robert Whittaker, and Strickland twice, cementing his status as one of the premier middleweights of his generation. In an interview in August with Betway South Africa, Du Plessis named Adesanya as the best opponent he has ever faced.
Du Plessis said he was not interested in hype or money fights, adding that he only wanted matchups that would get him back to the title as quickly as possible. He acknowledged that if the UFC wanted a different approach, that was their decision, but he questioned whether it made sense to fight someone on a two-fight win streak. He insisted that he did not care who the opponent was, as long as it helped him return to his belt.
Allen responds to Du Plessis's snub
Currently, Allen is ranked fifth in the MMA Fighting Global rankings at 185 pounds, while Du Plessis is ranked second. Allen responded to Du Plessis's dismissal in Vancouver, stating he would not engage while on a winning streak. He added that a fight could happen if it fit both their schedules, though he was unsure when Du Plessis planned to return. For now, Allen said he was focused on going home to his family and taking time to mentally recover.
Source: Getty Images
Dricus speaks out after defeat
Briefly News previously reported that South African UFC Middleweight fighter Dricus du Plessis reacted to his bruising defeat at the hands of the UAE’s Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 in Chicago.
“Stillknocks,” who came into this fight as the underdog, put on a brave face despite the one-sided fight and vowed to bounce back.
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Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.
Source: Briefly News
