Alex
Pereira’s loss at UFC 313
appears to have restricted his choices with regard to fights at different
weight courses.
Previous to going through Magomed
Ankalaev on March 8 on the T-Cell Area in Las Vegas, there
had been rumblings about “Poatan” transferring as much as heavyweight for a
potential matchup with Jon Jones, or
transferring all the way down to middleweight for a conflict in opposition to Dricus Du
Plessis.
After the Brazilian relinquished his crown to Ankalaev in a
unanimous choice loss, UFC CEO Dana White shortly shut down the
risk of a superfight in opposition to Jones. In the meantime, Du Plessis,
the UFC’s reigning 185-pound champion, additionally appears to have misplaced
curiosity in a showdown with the Brazilian.
“Thanks Ankalaev, for taking the most important payday of my life,” Du
Plessis mentioned on Jackson O’Doherty’s video weblog. “It’s nothing
private.”
The feelings had been fairly completely different following Du Plessis’ victory
over Israel
Adesanya at UFC 305,
when Pereira hinted at an eventual return to the middleweight
division within the rapid aftermath. Whereas Du Plessis was skeptical
that “Poatan” might return to 185 kilos, he did
specific curiosity in a future mild heavyweight bout in opposition to the
former Glory Kickboxing champion.
“You don’t have to chop the burden so you’ve got some form of excuse,”
Du Plessis mentioned on the UFC 305 post-fight press convention. “I’ll
come up after the [Sean] Strickland combat. I’ll come as much as 205 and
we’ll kind it on the market.”
Whereas Du Plessis did defeat Strickland of their rematch at UFC
312Khamzat Chimaev would be the subsequent impediment for the South
African champion. As for Pereira, he appears to be concentrating on a
rematch with Ankalaev. Even when Pereira is ready to even the rating
in opposition to Ankalaev, a combat in opposition to the Brazilian gained’t have the identical
enchantment for Du Plessis.
“No. Aura gone,” Du Plessis mentioned.
