Former Middleweight Champion Turns Up the Heat on Dricus du Plessis After UFC Vegas 122
Coming into his fight against Christian Leroy Duncan, Brendan Allen admitted that his low following made landing big fights difficult.
After the chaos that Brendan Allen unleashed at UFC Vegas 122 this past Saturday night, that excuse might no longer hold. Allen now wants No. 2 contender Dricus Du Plessis next, and he isn’t the only one pushing for it. Former UFC Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping believes this is a fight that simply has to happen.
Brendan Allen vs. Dricus Du Plessis? Michael Bisping Wants It to Happen
Brendan Allen has made no secret of his desire to lock horns with former middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis. Following his latest triumph at UFC Vegas 122, the American once again turned his attention towards ‘DDP’, urging the South African to stop the talk and finally agree to the fight.
"Yeah, if he drops his nuts," Brendan Allen told reporters during the UFC Vegas 122 post-fight press conference. "It's all talk from his side all the time. I've been waiting to sign the contract.”
Michael Bisping on Potential Fight Matching Brendan Allen with Dricus du Plessis
Michael Bisping also believes Dricus Du Plessis should stop dodging the matchup and accept the fight, especially with Brendan Allen desperately chasing a shot at the championship. If Allen is to climb the middleweight ladder, a high-profile showdown like this could be exactly what he needs to strengthen his title case.
“We know Dricus obviously lost his belt to Khamzat," Michael Bisping began. "Came back for Kamaru Usman. Looked really good. Went to a decision, but he nearly stopped him multiple times. So he’s got to fight someone. Duncan called him out. Sorry, Duncan was going to call him out. Brendan Allen called him out. And I’ll be honest, that fight makes a lot of sense because Dricus Du Plessis has got to fight someone,”
Dricus Du Plessis put on an impressive performance against Kamaru Usman, coming close to finishing the former welterweight champion on multiple occasions inside the Octagon. Following the fight, he demanded a title shot, sending a clear message to Sean Strickland.
“He knows I have all the respect in the world for him, in a different life I might even call us friends. Fight Imavov and get a title defense; he earned that and after that I’ll come and take my belt back,” said Dricus Du Plessis.
Dricus du Plessis Potentially Awaiting Brendan Allen Fight in Wake of UFC Vegas 122 Saturday Night
However, before securing a trilogy against Sean Strickland, Du Plessis might have to deal with Brendan Allen, who could be his ticket to another title shot. Interestingly, Allen has repeatedly called out the South African for a showdown and even accused him of cherry-picking opponents when Dricus Du Plessis agreed to fight Kamaru Usman back in July this year.
Brendan Allen reiterated during his callout that he has his reasons for wanting to fight Dricus Du Plessis and is determined to make the matchup with the No. 2-ranked middleweight contender happen, no matter what.
"I've seen everyone talking (expletive deleted), saying I'm just calling out DDP, but it's because he's the only one who makes sense," Brendan Allen continued. "No. 1, we've had our differences. No. 2, we were supposed to fight before, so it's not like it's unreasonable. I'm not going to chase that motherf—ker. If he wants to fight, fight. If not, we'll figure something else out."
The Ball is in Dana White's Court Here, but Will He Make the Fight?
That said, UFC CEO Dana White has every reason to make this fight happen. Considering Dricus du Plessis’ fighting pattern, with the South African typically competing twice a year, a December showdown inside the Octagon makes perfect sense.
