Alex Pereira: Dricus du Plessis ‘scared’ of potential matchup, du Plessis responds

Alex Pereira wants that Dricus du Plessis fight, he’s just not sure if the UFC middleweight champion feels the same way.

“Poatan,” who is set to defend his light heavyweight title against Khalil Rountree in the main event of UFC 307 in Salt Lake City on Oct. 5, has recently teased the possibility that he would drop back down to middleweight, the division in which he won his first UFC title in 2022. Specifically, he put out the possibility of a fight with du Plessis following du Plessis’ win over Israel Adesanya at UFC 305.

Any substantial matchup negotiations between the two are unlikely to come to fruition for months, but Pereira insists that they can start talking about it now if du Plessis is open to it.

“Dricus definitely is an easier fight than fighting Jon Jones,” Pereira told FULL SEND MMA via a Portuguese translator. “I think making weight will be harder than the fight, but I did stop making that weight class because I said my body needed a break two or three fights without having to make that cut.

“Now I think I’ve rested long enough, I think I can definitely do that and make the fight happen, but it depends on him. I showed interest many times, but he never replies.”

It’s not just du Plessis’ alleged reluctance to fight that has Pereira miffed. The Brazilian knockout artist questions whether du Plessis is serious about booking a fight against a top contender next, whether it’s himself or a rematch with Sean Strickland.

“The way that he presents himself is always jokes when he responds,” Pereira said. “Like, he said the stuff to Strickland, for example. He’s never serious. He’s always trolling somehow when the subject is presented to him.

“He never takes it serious, so it shows that he’s scared, you know what I mean? Instead of him just saying, ‘Look, UFC. Let’s make me and Pereira fight.’ Clown.”

Once du Plessis caught wind of Pereira’s comments, he was quick to respond on social media.

“A scared clown, how dare you,” du Plessis wrote. “Now that’s taking it too far. I’ve already said I’m in to fight either you or [Strickland]. What more do you want or should I tag your translator?”

Pereira won the UFC middleweight title in just his eighth MMA fight following a decorated pro kickboxing career that included two wins over Adesanya. He knocked out Adesanya at UFC 281 to claim the title before dropping it to his longtime rival in a rematch five months later. He later became light heavyweight champion with a knockout of Jiri Prochazka and his reputation as a multi-division threat has him set up to potentially fight du Plessis or heavyweight champion Jon Jones.