The UFC is full of some of the best talent MMA has to offer, and Dricus Du Plessis believes these four are better than the rest.
Du Plessis has finished preparations for his UFC 319 main event title defence against the tricky wrestling style of Khamzat Chimaev in Chicago this Saturday.
While many have bet against the champion to retain his crown, he has had some backers in the middleweight division, including one contender who believes Dricus will ‘surprise the world’.
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The South African and his team believe ‘one-dimensional’ Khamzat will be no match for him when they step into the Octagon, as they set out to prove the star is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the organisation.
Dricus Du Plessis chooses four UFC stars as the most well-rounded, including one heavyweight name
‘Stillknocks’ finds himself tied fourth on the P4P list with Alexandre Pantoja, but believes a statement victory in this next defence and a potential move to light heavyweight will secure him a place as the best in the world.
While he may not hold the top spot currently, he has shown love to other fighters across the divisions who he believes exude the best qualities of all-round MMA ability.
In his opinion, there are only four people who are incredibly well-rounded at the highest level, and two of them should fight each other.
Speaking to The Schmo, he said: “ You look at a guy like Ilia Topuria, who just put on a masterclass, his striking obviously phenomenal, and the way he looked against Charles on the ground, he was great.
“Then you have a guy like Arman Tsarukyan, whose striking is not bad. He has great wrestling and grappling. So I mean that fight, I know they have their differences. That’s a that’s a great fight to make.”
Ilia Topuria and Arman Tsarukyan have traded words over social media, as the Armenian looks to fight the Spaniard for the lightweight title.
The 31-year-old also picked out two more names, including the new heavyweight champion.
“Look at a guy like Islam (Makhachev), he’s predominantly a grappler and wrestler, but his striking has been getting so much better,” he said.
“Right now, especially for a heavyweight Tom Aspinall, who is a top-tier grappler, and he is just knocking guys out.
“The sport has grown to (the point) that if you want to be the best, you have to be the best everywhere.”
Tom Aspinall has especially impressed fans with his fast movement for a heavyweight of his size and his eight finishes inside the first two rounds.
Dricus Du Plessis challenges Khamzat Chimaev to go ‘full speed’ at UFC 319
The middleweight champion is looking forward to his clash in Chicago with the Chechen and is not backing down from his opponent, who has been labelled the ‘bogeyman’ of the division.
During his UFC 319 media day appearance, he called on Chimaev to face him head-on.
Dricus said: “I’m going out there to fight the way (I fight) and see what happens. He didn’t change his game plan with Robert Whittaker because it was a five-rounder.
“That kind of already gives me the sense that he’s not gonna think about the five rounds when he should be. Five rounds is a long time, and I am not scared to get into that dark place.
“We’ve seen that. If we go full speed, I can fight tired all day. I’ve done that many times. So, let’s go for it. Let’s go from the first bell to the last. Let’s go full speed and see who quits.”
After struggling over the three-round distance against opponents Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns, fans are expecting improvements to his cardio training ahead of the fight against the unorthodox titleholder.