Dricus Du Plessis came on the radar of Israel Adesanya by drilling one of his former enemies to the Canvas.
At this pace, UFC Middleweight Champion Dric Du Plessis is on his way to become a big one, the will of former Champs Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya and 8 rounds from 10 against Sean Strickland.
On the way to gold is where Du Plessis was confronted with one of his biggest challenges, almost his flawless UFC record lost to 3x Division II All-American Wrestler and multi-year competition Derek Brunson.
The middle weights were linked to UFC 285, the same night Jon Jones won the heavyweight title in March 2023. Du Plessis had submitted Darren to months earlier and earned a shot on his first top 5th-party in Brunson.
Brunson had seen just about everything for the unorthodox South African, against Adesanya and Whittaker itself and other elite middle weights.
This version of Brunson, 'Blonde Brunson', had won 5 of his last 6 fights and derailed quite a few promising prospects in his heyday as 2020 Hotshot Kevin Holland and the unbeaten Edmen Shahbazyan.
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Derek Brunson gave Dricus du Plessis serious problems
40 seconds in round 1, Brunson caught one of the stairs of Du Plessis and made him relatively convenience.
Brunson checked Du Plessis for more than a minute, Guillotine jumped as soon as du Plessis came up again. The central weights struggled a bit more and tried chopping and foot closed on the floor.
Brunson grabbed the back of Du Plessis in slick transitions. When his opponent got up, Brunson landed large strokes on their break, swarming du Plessis with strikes. DDP dropped for a Takedown, one that ran on him when Brunson fell straight into top check.
Brunson searched for a coded choke at the end of the round, but Du Plessis would survive, stand on his feet and landed a clean elbow and backfist, smiling with confidence while walking to his corner.
Dricus Du Plessis last conquered Cardio -Handicap
Du Plessis took up a big deep breath between rounds.
Until his fight with Robert Whittaker, the South African fought his entire career with a different septum, a respiratory disorder that left him through his nostrils with 8% oxygen intake
Joe Rogan said Du Plessis was planning to get a nose surgery to get it before he fights against Brunson, but the ranked competition was a good opportunity to leave.
Brunson tested Du Plessis's cardio with a multitude of Teep stairs to the body. Brunson found a home for his punches, landing left and rights.
Minutes in the second round brunson started to fade while he ate shots from du plessis.
Du Plessis continued to touch Brunson in the striking, hit his legs with stairs, making him desperate looking for a Takedown. Du Plessis landed a colorful shot to Brunson's body.
The fight turned into a little Barroom -Vecht party with both men who later in the Round Landen.
After more deep breaths from Du Plessis, he rocked Brunson with bumps, so he fell to the canvas.
Du Plessis landed elbows and more soil and pounds with seconds to go. Just as it seemed as if Brunson would be saved by the bell, du Plessis landed a hammer dick and succeeded it with a huge right hand, where he was on the mat on Brunson's head to the mat.
Brunson Down and Out, his corner threw in the towel to stop the game.
A new middleweight candidate had emerged and his name was Dricus du Plessis. With this performance he heard rumbling of title conflicts against the then camp Israel Adesanya, but Du Plessis would only meet him later in his career.
Du Plessis sent Robert Whittaker in his next fight after Brunson, his nose completely resolved.