DRICUS DU PLESSIS is willing to perform a quick turnaround for a potential grudge match with Israel Adesanya.
The surging South African is on the cusp of becoming the continent’s fourth holder of a title in MMA’s top promotion, which he’ll bid to claim early on Sunday morning in the main event of UFC 297 in Toronto.
Dricus Du Plessis challenges Sean Strickland for the middleweight title at UFC 297GETTY
Du Plessis can become the fourth African fighter to win UFC goldAP
Victory over Strickland could set up a grudge match with ex-champ Israel AdesanyaGETTY
Standing in Du Plessis’ way of UFC gold is defending champion Sean Strickland, who will look to make his first defence of the title.
The former EFC two-division champion has tried his best to stay focused on the present and fulfilling his dream of winning a UFC title just days after his 30th birthday.
But the prospect of a short-notice grudge match with The Last Stylebender topping the UFC 300 bill is something he’s very much entertaining.
He told SunSport: “That is 11 weeks, right? For me, I have a very, very good team around me.
“Obviously, as fighters, we carry small injuries, we carry niggles – we always do.
“I have nothing serious as of now. Obviously, I have fight camp niggles, that’s it.
“One thing that I did learn from the Robert Whittaker fight is that don’t commit to fights before you have another fight. Because you’d get crucified for that.
“But that would be amazing, that would be a historic event and that would be absolutely awesome.
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“That’s a massive payday, that’s legacy UFC 300 being part of that.
“And to give the fans what they want in me versus Israel Adesanya. So yeah, I would love that.”
The bad blood between Du Plessis and Adesanya began last March when the former declared himself the “real African fighter” in the UFC on account of the fact he still lives and trains in the continent.
Former two-time middleweight champion Adesanya took umbrage to Du Plessis’ comments and suggestions that neither his belt nor the ones won by Kamaru Usman or Francis Ngannou went back to Africa.
That led to Adesanya vowing to drag Du Plessis’ carcass through South Africa before a fiery and expletive-filled face-off last July.
Du Plessis insists he meant no harm with his comments and that he didn’t try to claim Adesanya, Usman or Ngannou weren’t African.
Before he can think about fighting Adesanya, Du Plessis must first dethrone Strickland – whom he came to blows last month during UFC 296.
He said of Strickland attacking him: “I’d like to talk about how he asked the kids to get out of the way, which is a very nice gesture for them not to get hurt.
Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland came to blows at UFC 296 last monthTNT SPORTS
“But think about the example you’re setting. I know sometimes we all make mistakes and things, sometimes, can get heated in the heat of the moment.
“But that wasn’t even that bad, it wasn’t even like he was protecting himself.
“As a world champion, you have to be accustomed to that situation and that kind of heat.
“And you have to think about this example you’re setting, the company you’re representing and the belt you’re representing.
“But like you said, to react that, that’s there is somewhat of an emotion trigger. And your head is in not in the right place.”
Despite believing he may have a psychological advantage over the controversial champion, Du Plessis admits the American has the ideal team to get his head back in the game.
“I believe he has right people [around him],” Du Plessis said of the champion. “He had five weeks after that until fight night.
“And I believe he has the right people in his corner to try to get his focus back to where it needs to be.”
APDricus Du Plessis believes he’s in Sean Strickland’s head ahead of their Canadian clash[/caption]