Dricus du Plessis, after defeating Israel Adesanya at UFC 305, has several potential matchups ahead, including a rematch with Robert Whittaker, a fight with Sean Strickland, or a superfight with Alex Pereira, while his coach, Morne Visser, believes Whittaker is the most likely next opponent.
Dricus du Plessis conquered his fiercest adversary at UFC 305, and now a slew of possibilities lie before him. This past August, he clinched a thrilling fourth-round submission victory over Israel Adesanya, temporarily putting their rivalry to rest. Since then, he’s been linked to several potential title challengers.
Among these contenders are the victor of the UFC 308 bout between Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev, a rematch with Sean Strickland, or even a superfight with light heavyweight champ Alex Pereira. Du Plessis’ coach, Morne Visser, has weighed in on what’s next for the fighter.
Visser mentioned in an interview with Submission Radio that they anticipate a rematch—though not with Strickland just yet. Instead, it’s Whittaker who’s on their radar, having previously faced du Plessis at UFC 290. Strickland remains adamant about deserving another shot after losing the title via a narrow split decision.
“I had a chat with Dricus yesterday,” Visser shared (via Denis Shkuratov). “I told him there’s one certainty: we need to be ready for Sydney in February.” According to Visser, Sean’s pushing too hard; he’s only had one win post-Dricus against Paulo Costa. Meanwhile, Whittaker’s racked up two victories and is likely eyeing a third.
Visser believes Whittaker is next in line for a title shot if he defeats Khamzat in Sydney come February. He’s confident Whittaker will overcome Khamzat, despite Chimaev’s undefeated record in 13 pro bouts being marred by long spells of inactivity.
Chimaev’s upcoming fight with Whittaker marks only his fourth since 2020. Despite the buzz around Chimaev, Visser doubts his ability to best the former UFC champion. “Rob learns quickly from mistakes,” Visser noted. “He’s brutally honest with himself.”
Visser further elaborated on Rob’s strengths: phenomenal standup, excellent wrestling, and ground game. In contrast, he questions Khamzat’s readiness for middleweight challenges. “His fight against Usman was too close,” Visser observed. “Khamzat needs to return to welterweight.”
Another matchup possibility? A clash with Adesanya again. The loss to du Plessis marked Adesanya’s first losing streak in MMA, but their rivalry could still spark interest for another championship bout.
Visser thinks a rematch with Adesanya makes sense for South African fans. “Dana’s talking about it,” he said. “We might see Dricus vs. Izzy again next year.” He praised the version of Adesanya that fought Dricus as superior.
And what about Pereira? There were whispers of a duel with the Brazilian knockout artist after UFC 305. However, du Plessis is more interested in challenging Pereira at light heavyweight than seeing him drop back down.
Pereira plans to stay at 205 pounds for now, making this matchup speculative at best. If they ever face off, Visser is confident du Plessis would triumph—not necessarily through expected means.
“With wrestling and grappling, it’s not something you master overnight,” Visser explained. “Pereira’s weaknesses lie there.” But du Plessis aims to challenge Pereira where he’s strongest: standup.
“Dricus won’t take it to the ground,” Visser insisted. “He’ll expose flaws in Pereira’s standup game.” According to him, Pereira struggles when pressured backward—a tactic du Plessis excels at exploiting.
Ultimately, Visser asserts that becoming proficient in wrestling or grappling isn’t achievable within six months or a year. It takes time and dedication—something du Plessis has invested heavily in throughout his career.