Dricus Du Plessis stands by his choice to not struggle at UFC 300.
Middleweight champion Du Plessis (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) was referred to as by the UFC to defend his title towards Israel Adesanya (24-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) on the historic card April 13 at T-Cell Area in Las Vegas.
He turned it down.
Du Plessis was recovering from a damaged foot suffered in his title win over Sean Strickland lower than three months earlier than that at UFC 297, and wasn’t going to danger combating compromised.
“I received’t say numbers simply because I don’t prefer it, however I don’t suppose folks perceive the sum of money they provided me to struggle at UFC 300,” Du Plessis advised Combat Wave. “You don’t perceive the bitter capsule it was to say no to that struggle. I had a damaged foot. What do you guys need? The struggle was eight weeks after.”
Du Plessis referenced former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski’s daring transfer of stepping in on simply 10 days’ discover to rematch light-weight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 294. He was knocked out in Spherical 1, then misplaced his featherweight title to Ilia Topuria additionally by knockout at UFC 298.
“That is your profession, you must be good about it,” Du Plessis mentioned. “Have a look at Alex Volkanovski. …As a champion stepping in on per week’s discover. That’s so unhealthy ass, however what occurred? What favors did that do him? Yeah, he acquired cash. That’s not why I do that.
“He acquired cash, however he acquired knocked out as a result of clearly he didn’t have time to arrange for that struggle. Do you suppose that anyone went, ‘Oh, however he took it on quick discover?’ No, all people went, ‘he acquired knocked out.’ He nonetheless acquired knocked out, nonetheless has that loss then misplaced his title.”
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