TORONTO – Dricus Du Plessis knows his reputation as an easy-to-wear-down fighter still proceeds him, even in the aftermath of what could turn out to be a career-changing nose surgery.
While some viewers may doubt his abilities to go deep into a five-round fight, Du Plessis (20-2 MMA, 6-0 UFC) thinks he possesses the gas tank of a champion – not that he’ll necessarily need it vs. Sean Strickland (28-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC) at UFC 297.
“If this is a Sean Strickland fight of punching really, really, really soft and jab, jab, jab, if that’s the case – which it won’t be (because) I won’t allow it – then I’ll be there in the fifth round making sure I win this fight by decision,” Du Plessis told MMA Junkie on Thursday. “That’s what it takes to become the world champion. But in my honest opinion, this fight is not going the distance. There’s no way. He’s a guy who walks forward. I’m a guy who likes to go forward. I’ve said this and this is one thing. This is the fight game.
