Athletes
Where We Stand: Middleweight Division | August 2024
Dricus Du Plessis Submitted Israel Adesanya To Hold Onto The Middleweight Belt But Has No Shortage Of Contenders Ready In The Wings
For the first time in more than two years, the middleweight title stayed in the hands of the incumbent as Dricus Du Plessis earned a fourth-round submission win over Israel Adesanya in Adesanya’s first fight in 11 months. The back-and-forth affair had seemingly everything you’d expect in a “Stillknocks” bout: wild exchanges, momentum swings galore, and a dramatic conclusion.
With the South African cemented as the 185-pound king at present, the middleweight division still feels wide open, despite some familiar foes closing in on their shot at the champ.
This is where we stand in the middleweight division.
Champion: Dricus Du Plessis
Last Fight: Submission Win vs Israel Adesanya (8/17/2024)
Next fight: N/A
Dricus Du Plessis Post-Fight Interview | UFC 297
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there’s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world’s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Dricus Du Plessis Post-Fight Interview | UFC 297
/
Outlook: Du Plessis continued his knack for the dramatic in his first title defense. While he held his own with Adesanya on the feet, rocking the former champion a handful of times, Du Plessis really imposed his will in the grappling department. All in all, he showed the championship resolve you’d hope to see out of a champion and now boasts wins over three champions in Adesanya, Whittaker and Sean Strickland. More than anything, Du Plessis hopes to defend his title in South Africa, but while that’s uncertain, what is more concrete is the myriad challengers gunning for him. From rematches with Strickland or Whittaker to a potential return of Alex Pereira to the division, Du Plessis has plenty of opportunities to add to his championship legacy.
1) Sean Strickland
Last Fight: Split Decision Win vs Paulo Costa (6/1/2024)
Next fight: N/A
Outlook: Since he lost the belt to Du Plessis at UFC 297, Strickland has remained consistent in his desire to get back to the throne he shortly held. He did the requisite work so far, outworking Paulo Costa over the course of five rounds at UFC 301 to earn a decision win. Debatably, he might’ve had a clearer path to a rematch had Adesanya won in Perth, but he is right in the thick of the title picture either way. There is an argument that he deserves the next shot considering the razor-close nature of his fight with Du Plessis. However, the impending fight between Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev, and Nassourdine Imavov’s fight with Brendan Allen both figure to play a factor, as well. It does seem, however, that the often-active Strickland is happy to wait to get the shot he believes he deserves.
2) Israel Adesanya
Last Fight: Submission Loss vs Dricus Du Plessis (8/17/2024)
Next fight: N/A
Outlook: “The Last Stylebender” didn’t seem to have a lick of rust on him after the longest layoff of his career. He seemed strong, sharp and up for all of the chaos Du Plessis threw at him until, in a blink, he didn’t. While some retirement rumors swirled around the two-time champ, he put his foot down and told everyone he was far from done. Considering Adesanya’s body of work and demeanor, it makes sense that he wouldn’t want to end his career having lost three of his last four fights. What isn’t as clear is what his next few fights could be. After 12 straight title fights, it’s weird to imagine Adesanya in the co-main of a pay-per-view or headlining a fight night, but that’s all in play as new contenders rise. He’ll certainly have to win one or two fights and have the timing work out before he gets another shot at the title, but few fighters paralleled his activity in the promotion throughout the last six years, so that could come sooner rather than later.
3) Robert Whittaker
Last Fight: KO Win vs Ikram Aliskerov (6/22/2024)
Next fight: vs Khamzat Chimaev (10/26/2024)
Outlook: “The Reaper” is right on the edge of getting into his first title fight since 2021 as he continues his journey to get his belt back. He made the exact right statement with his steamrolling of Ikram Aliskerov in Saudi Arabia, but his sights are still set on handing Khamzat Chimaev his first professional loss. He gets that chance at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi, and a win in the desert could push him into a rematch with Du Plessis. With a spectacular win, he could even leapfrog Strickland, but either way, a win in October should push Bobby Knuckles into a title shot against whoever holds the belt.
4) Nassourdine Imavov
Last Fight: TKO Win vs Jared Cannonier (6/8/2024)
Next fight: vs Brendan Allen (9/28/2024)
Outlook: Imavov bounced back from a disappointing 2023 with a pair of main event wins over Roman Dolidze and Jared Cannonier. While his stoppage of Cannonier was seen as a little controversial, Imavov seemed to be pulling away from the former title challenger, regardless. The 28-year-old seems to have everything in place to make good on his immense potential, and he gets a chance to distinguish himself as the newest face in the title picture if he can get past the surging Brendan Allen in late-September.
5) Jared Cannonier
Last Fight: TKO Loss vs Nassourdine Imavov (6/8/2024)
Next fight: vs Caio Borralho (8/24/2024)
Outlook: The 40-year-old Cannonier seemed on the precipice of a second title shot after his beatdown of Marvin Vettori in 2023, but things never quite fell into place for “Tha Killa Gorilla.” He rolled the dice against Imavov and lost, so he likely needs to string together a few wins before making a shout at the title. His first mission comes against Brazilian upstart Caio Borralho, and it’s a fight in which he must make a statement.
In the Mix: Brendan Allen, Caio Borralho, Khamzat Chimaev, Alex Pereira
Outlook: Middleweight feels loaded with fighters on the edge of title contention in the sense that any fighter in the Top 10 could find themselves in a championship fight with just a win or two. Brendan Allen, who is sitting on a seven-fight winning streak, can finally break into the Top 5 with a main event win over Nassourdine Imavov. The Dana White’s Contender Series alumnus hoped to already be in that position when he was booked against Marvin Vettori earlier this year, but an injury forced him into a rematch with Chris Curtis that turned into one of the best fights of the year so far. “All In” could finally have that breakout moment shortly.
Also seeking his breakout moment is Caio Borralho. “The Natural,” also an alumnus of Dana White’s Contender Series, heads into his first career main event having won all six of his Octagon appearances and gets the biggest test of his career against Cannonier. If he strings together a few more wins together, he could very well find himself in championship contention within the next 12 months.
Two fighters who also might bust into the title picture are Khamzat Chiamev and Alex Pereira. Chimaev’s biggest opponent thus far has been his own health, which most recently forced him out of his matchup with Whittaker in Saudi Arabia. However, if he can secure a win in October, that could be his ticket to gold. Meanwhile, Pereira has had the best year of any fighter in 2024, having defended his light heavyweight title in style at UFC 300 and UFC 303. He can make it three with a win over Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307, and while he teased a move to heavyweight, he also posted on social media his intention to move back down to middleweight to recapture that belt, as well. At this point, nothing “Poatan” does should shock, and the more the Brazilian wants to fight, the better off fight fans are for it.
Tags