South African UFC fighter Dricus du Plessis admits that his decision to fight former champion Robert Whittaker instead of challenging current champion Israel Adesanya for the middleweight title may not be the smartest one, but he wants to prove his worth and earn the title shot through hard work.
Dricus du Plessis, the sixth-ranked fighter in the UFC middleweight division, is taking a risky challenge before facing the current titleholder, Israel Adesanya. Instead of waiting for his chance, du Plessis is set to fight former champion and top contender Robert Whittaker. Although he agrees that this may not be a wise move, he believes that he didn’t become a fighter to make smart decisions. In his own words, “I’m not here to be smart. Otherwise, I would’ve stayed in school and finished my studies, gone to work at a bank, wore a suit to work every day, and do some corporate life. But that’s not the life I chose. I chose to be a warrior, to be an entertainer, and at the end of the day, I’m a fighter. And that’s what I do, I fight.”
With a 19-2 record, du Plessis was in a good position to challenge Adesanya for the title. Since Adesanya had defeated most of the fighters ahead of him, du Plessis would’ve been a solid contender. Moreover, he had already defeated Whittaker twice, making this challenge even more dangerous. However, du Plessis wants to prove himself and earn his chance to fight for the title. He believes that taking on Whittaker is preparing him for the challenge that Adesanya presents.
Whittaker has established himself as a top fighter in the middleweight division, with only two losses at middleweight, both of which were to Adesanya. Although he has defeated all of the division’s best fighters, he has yet to secure another title shot due to those losses. Du Plessis understands the challenge and appreciates that there is no room for error in a fight against Whittaker. He believes that capitalizing on every one of Whittaker’s mistakes is the key to victory.
According to du Plessis, his eventual title shot should not be based on hype and he wants to deserve the belt. Therefore, he needs to earn it by defeating fighters like Whittaker. In his opinion, a victory over Whittaker is a significant stepping stone towards securing a shot at the title. In summary, du Plessis has decided to take a difficult road to face the titleholder, not because it is the smartest option, but because he is passionate about fighting and wants to ensure that he deserves the title shot.