‘I can beat him’ – Dricus Du Plessis responds to Alex Pereira super fight challenge after backstage run-in at UFC 312

Dricus Du Plessis is confident that he can move up a division to beat Alex Pereira.

This follows a run-in between both champions after du Plessis’ title victory at UFC 312.

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Du Plessis made comments towards Pereira at UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia, after he retained his middleweight title against Sean Strickland.

“Since he’s standing across the octagon…Is there no one else? Is there no one else?” the South African shouted at the Brazilian, who had front row seats for his post-fight octagon interview.

This prompted a backstage run-in between both du Plessis and Pereira, which has now both been confirmed by the two champions.

“Yeah, he came up to me and asked: “Did you challenge me?” du Plessis said at his UFC 312 post-fight press conference. 

“I was like: ‘I did the whole show, I did the whole movie scene and everything,’ and you’re like did you challenge me. That’s anticlimactic, but sure, yes.

“I said yeah I did challenge you…but I’ve the world’s respect for Alex Pereira. I think he is the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world.

“I have the most respect for him for what he’s done in a short period of time in the UFC to come from another sport…

“I want to share the octagon with that man. I’ve beaten [Israel] Adesanya, who has beaten him. I know I can beat him, and at 205 [pounds], 100%.”

Just moments after his second defence of the UFC middleweight title against Strickland, Pereira responded to ‘Stillknocks’ backstage.

The UFC light heavyweight champion said ‘let’s make it happen’, saying for him to agree to a fight at 205-pounds, which is his current weight class, above du Plessis’ 185 lbs.

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Pereira will headline the UFC’s next pay-per-view of 2025 as he defends his light heavyweight title against Magomedo Ankalaev.

“Absolutely, of course,” Pereira told Full Send MMA when asked if he would take on du Plessis after the Russian.

“We are focused on March 8, but since this happened right now I couldn’t let it pass. We shook hands, so we have a deal.”

It seems both champions know where their priorities lie before a potential mouthwatering super fight.

“No, Khamzat [Chimaev] is first,” du Plessis added during his post-fight press conference.

“I said please beat Ankalaev, no hate against Ankalaev. I just want to beat Alex Pereira.

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“Nothing personal against Ankalaev, it was just Pereira is such a legend in this sport already that to me it would be amazing to beat him for my legacy.

“I want to be the greatest to ever do this, but Khamzat is next, Khamzat is next, and I’m gonna make sure that there’s no question I’m the goat of the middleweight decision. 

“Anderson Silva, in my mind, is the goat of this division and you have Adesanya, who has done incredible things.

“But it’s not about how many times you fight, it’s about how many times you defend the belt and who you’ve done it against and in what period of time you’ve done it.

“I’m not rushing for my next fight to be Alex Pereira. I want Khamzat next.”

Du Plessis is likely to defend his UFC middleweight title against the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev next.

Chimaev is unbeaten in 14 professional MMA fights and has won eight straight UFC bout.

His last victory came against Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 last October, when he shattered his fellow middleweight’s jaw to pieces with a rear naked choke.