Dricus du Plessis e Alex Poatán want to face each other in the UFC. Photo: Montage/SUPER LUTAS
After your dominant victory about Sean Strickland No. UFC 312, held in Sydney last Saturday (8), Dricus Du Plessis established himself as one of the big names in the middleweight category (up to 83,9 kg) and challenged the champion Alex Poatán for a superfight in the UFC. Although the Brazilian has verbally accepted the challenge in the light heavyweight division (up to 93kg), the long-awaited duel is further away than many think.
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The rivalry between Du Plessis and Poatan began when the Brazilian announced on his social media his intention to return to middleweight, a division in which he was once champion. At the time, the South African, who had just defeated Israel adesanya, liked the idea and, since then, they both started to tease each other whenever possible.
Last Saturday, while Poatan was in the corner of Sean Strickland, Dricus once again provoked the Brazilian, staring him down and asking who would be next. Alex, who according to Strickland, feels a hatred that goes beyond the octagon for Du Plessis, confronted the South African backstage and verbally agreed to a fight. However, before resolving their differences in the cage, both still need to overcome important challenges in their respective divisions.
Poatan vs. Ankalaev at UFC 313
The scenario for Poatan is clear: the Brazilian has a fight scheduled for UFC 313, scheduled for March 8, 2025, where it will face Magomed Ankalayev. To ensure that the super fight against Du Plessis leaves the imagination and becomes reality, Poatan needs to overcome the Russian, which promises to be the biggest technical challenge of his career, and confirm his slight favoritism in the odds, with a quote of 1,89 against 1,92, according to Stake.
Khamzat Chimaev, the number one contender at middleweight
Meanwhile, Du Plessis does not yet have a confirmed date for his next title defense, but his future is already partially mapped out. Before a possible meeting with Poatan, the South African will need to overcome the undefeated Khamzat Shimaev, who impressed the world by finishing Robert whittaker dominantly in the UFC 308, and became the division's number one contender.
Poatan in the heavyweights
Another factor that could disrupt plans for the superfight between the champions is the possibility of Alex Poatán to try for his third belt, now in the heavyweight division (up to 120,2 kg). Although Dana White's priority is to unify the interim title of Tom aspinall with the linear of Jon Jones, Poatan is one of the fighters who can enter the dispute for the UFC's heaviest division.
Undefeated in the UFC with nine wins, Dricus Du Plessis won the middleweight title by beating Sean Strickland in January 2024. The South African has already defended his belt on two occasions. On the other hand, Alex Poatán, who was also a former middleweight champion, won the light heavyweight belt after knocking out Jiri Prochazka in 2023.
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