Du Plessis will come for Adesanya’s head. The African skating rink ran over the mighty Whittaker
Igor Nekrasov July 9, 2023, 1:00 p.m. Moscow time
Drykus energized the UFC’s middle division by knocking out the former champion.
The UFC 290 mixed martial arts tournament ended in Las Vegas. As part of the main card of the event in the Octagon, the second and fifth numbers in the middleweight classification, Robert Whittaker and Dricus du Plessis, faced each other. Drikus caused a sensation, knocking out the former champion and holding a sterdown with current belt holder Israel Adesanya.
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Martial arts fans have known all about Whittaker for a long time. The Australian New Zealander is a former UFC Middleweight Champion. After the first loss to Israel Adesanya and the loss of the title, Robert had three victories and deserved a rematch. After the second loss, Whittaker disarmed the fourth number in the standings: Marvin Vettori, and victory over du Plessis would open Robert’s path to a trilogy with Israel.
Today’s fight was the same opportunity for a title fight for the South African. Drykus flew to the UFC in 2020 and is fresh blood for the middleweight division. Du Plessis has won all five bouts in the organization, all victories by stoppage, including over Darren Till and Derek Brunson. But Whittaker-level opposition has yet to come from Drikus.
In the first round, du Plessis tried to put pressure on Whittaker, but at the same time, this did not bring him any dividends. Robert was ahead of his opponent, time and time again bringing the jab to the target. Du Plessis worked hard with his feet and performed with power, reversing every one of his punches. In the middle of the round, Whittaker made a takedown, but failed to succeed on the ground, which cannot be said for du Plessis. In the last minute of the round, Drikus performed the frontal drive beautifully and began to break Robert to the ground, inflicting a cut on the opponent. And it was the first bell for the New Zealander.
Robert Whittaker started the second round the same way as the first, and du Plessis continued to push, hitting the increasingly significant South African. And in the end, this pressure did his job: Drikus caught Robert with a powerful jab, after which Whittaker’s legs buckled and the South African rushed to finish him off. With a powerful body shot, du Plessis literally sliced Robert into the net, after which he landed a dozen more punches and the referee stopped the fight. Dricus du Plessis is a new contender for a middleweight title shot.
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Immediately after the fight, Israel Adesanya appeared in the cage, who sustained a sterdown with the challenger. The fighters exchanged “affectionate” comments with each other, continuing the dispute over African affiliation and thus fueling interest in the upcoming fight. Wait.
