Chris Weidman praises UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis for his recent run.
Du Plessis (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) will defend his title for the first time against Israel Adesanya (24-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) in the main event of UFC 305 on August 17 at the RAC Arena in Perth (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).
Former champion Weidman (16-7 MMA, 12-7 UFC) admits there were question marks surrounding Du Plessis at first, but gave him credit for becoming the champion.
“Dricus Du Plessis, there were so many doubts about this guy because he has such an unorthodox style and looks tired most of the time, but he really proved that he is a worthy champion,” Weidman told Cageside Press.
“The upcoming fight against Adesanya is super exciting. We have a traditionally much more polished striker, really athletic and with great technique, against a guy who lunges forward with his chin up. So it will be interesting to see how that tangle works out.”
Weidman ended Anderson Silva’s long title reign and became middleweight champion in 2013. He defended his belt three times before losing it to Luke Rockhold in 2015.
Last year, the middleweight title changed hands several times – from Adesanya to Sean Strickland to Du Plessis.
“It’s fun to watch,” Weidman said of his division. “It’s always exciting when you have a kind of fluid division where there’s not just one champion at the top. The belt has changed hands a lot.”
Weidman earned his first win since 2020 when he scored a unanimous decision victory over Bruno Silva at UFC on ESPN 54. He is currently unbooked but still has a desire to compete.
“I’m still training and I still want to kick some ass here in the UFC.”
