Dricus Du Plessis: 'Special' Ilia Topuria going to be a Hall of Famer no doubt
Both middleweight champion Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) and lightweight champion Topuria (17-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) debuted on the same UFC Fight Night 179 card in October 2020. It would mark the start of an incredible rise, where both fighters are unbeaten in the octagon and currently holding UFC titles.
Topuria (17-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) however, has assembled an undeniable resume consisting of three-straight knockouts of Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and, most recently, Charles Oliveira to claim the vacant 155-pound belt at UFC 317. He is also the first undefeated fighter to claim belts in two different divisions in the UFC.
"I'm so happy for him," Du Plessis said of Topuria in an interview with Betway South Africa. "We made our debuts on the same fight card. He was literally in my changing room. We were on the same trajectory, winning our titles one month apart, so I'm super happy for him.
"I think he's one of those special characters who's going to be a Hall of Famer, no doubt. He's the first unbeaten guy to have two titles, so I rate him very highly as an all-round fighter. And obviously, his striking power, knocking out three legends – I think he's incredible, and in my opinion, one of the best, if not the best in the UFC right now."
Du Plessis will look to notch his third middleweight title defense when he takes on Khamzat Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) in the UFC 319 main event on Aug. 16 from United Center in Chicago (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).
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