On April 8, Israel Adesanya will make a comeback to the cage at UFC 287 to take on Alex Pereira once more in an effort to recapture the middleweight title he dropped in November 2022. Dricus du Plessis acknowledged that he is rooting for “The Last Stylebender” to triumph over his longstanding foe.
The No. 6 ranked middleweight gave the following prediction for the fight in an interview with Ariel Helwani of The MMA Hour:
“I think Izzy wins the battle, but you can never rule Alex Pereira out,” Izzy said. That has been done so frequently that it will be a fascinating battle. I’m eager to see who prevails in that contest, but whomever does so may enter the fray and confront the other party with my full support.
Whether one wins and against whoever I get to fight means nothing to me.
When asked if he wanted Israel Adesanya to win back his title since it would allow him to compete for the belt, Du Plessis replied: “Of course.”
“I believe it is likely to occur, and I believe I am likely biassed. That’s right, I’m the only top-five opponent he hasn’t faced.
Israel Adesanya has lost three competitive matches to Alex Pereira, two of which were kickboxing matches. If “The Last Stylebender” is successful in regaining the middleweight title, it is still unknown whether du Plessis will be eligible for a title opportunity.
Israel Adesanya’s return: Dricus du Plessis hopes to face ‘The Last Stylebender’ if he is victorious at UFC 287
Since defeating Robert Whittaker at UFC 243, Israel Adesanya won’t be a middleweight contender until he fights Alex Pereira at UFC 287. If “The Last Stylebender” wins back his belt, Dricus du Plessis said he would like to have a shot at the championship. The No. 6 middleweight said at the UFC 285 post-fight news conference: “I think they’re waiting to see what happens with Izzy and [Alex] Pereira. If Izzy defeats Pereira, I’ll be the only top-five opponent he hasn’t faced, which makes sense. I’m not sure what they want to do if Pereira wins, but ultimately, it’s probably going to be a No. 1 contender fight or a title chance.
With either of those, I’m content. If Adesanya defeats Pereira at UFC 287, he will have beaten each of the top five middleweights in the rankings. In the event that “The Last Stylebender” is unable to clearly defeat his opponent, a trilogy fight may be organised.