Dricus Du Plessis Taunts Israel Adesanya & Team Following UFC Title Shot Announcement
Dricus Du Plessis has made no secret of his delight in silencing his skeptics with his title shot opportunity against Sean Strickland at UFC 297 next year.
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Many fans presumed "Stillknocks" was on the shelf after declining an Israel Adesanya title shot at UFC 293 due to injury. One critic was Adesanya's coach and City Kickboxing founder Eugene Bareman, who was keen to see Du Plessis at the back of the queue:
"...The problem is, if you [Du Plessis] don’t step up and take fights, you go into the pool. That’s a fact," Bareman told Submission Radio. "...And yeah, it’s been a bad injury. So what? You’ve taken your shot for granted.
"...You don’t know the UFC. You don’t know what they do, you don’t know how they twist and turn things. Never feel comfortable with where you are. If there’s something in front of you that you’ve been working for your whole life, don’t think for a minute that it can’t just be taken away just like that... And he had it, and he let it slip."
In light Dana White's November 7 announcement, Du Plessis was quick to push this narrative right back at his doubters:
"What can I say, a fumble has never looked this good," Du Plessis remarked on Twitter.
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Ironically, it's Adesanya who is now sidelined --- allegedly until 2027 --- and Du Plessis will enter the biggest fight of his career come UFC 297 in January, 2024. So despite the short-term criticisms, "Stillknocks" has benefitted the most.
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