Dricus du Plessis looks ahead to huge Derek Brunson clash

Dricus du Plessis is riding high in his career and expects the good times inside the octagon to continue when he faces the experienced Derek Brunson in his next outing.

The South African has been a fantastic addition to the UFC middleweight division and has brought a unique but extremely entertaining style to the cage. In his last bout, the heavy-hitter overwhelmed fan-favorite Darren Till with strikes and pressure, eventually leading to him locking in the submission and subsequent win.

While discussing Derek Brunson and their upcoming fight, Dricus du Plessis gave props to his opponent but made it clear that he was going to beat the veteran on his way to championship success.

"I think we're gonna have one hell of a first round. With my style and Derek Brunson's style, it's gonna be a clash, it's gonna be high-paced. Derek Brunson always fights that way, I always fight that way. I cannot be in a boring fight, it's not possible... I honestly don't see this fight going past two [rounds]. Derek Brunson, I have all the respect in the world for him, I've trained with him... He's the number five ranked fighter for a very good reason, but I am the next UFC champion for a reason."

'Stillknocks' is hoping to force his way into the top 5 at middleweight, but must first bypass the grappling threat of Brunson. After watching his winning streak come to an end with a number of vicious elbows in his last octagon appearance, the 39-year-old hopes to recapture form as he pushes towards a title shot.

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Dricus du Plessis vs. Derek Brunson and other big fights at UFC 285

UFC 285 is set to get underway on March 4 and alongside the middleweight clash between Dricus Du Plessis and Brunson, there are a number of high-quality matchups on display.

Headlining the event in one week's time will be the return of Jon Jones as he competes for the vacant heavyweight title in a monumental collision against the dangerous Ciryl Gane.

A debuting Bo Nickal, Cody Gabrandt's 135lb return, Ian Garry chasing his fourth win inside the octagon, and a huge women's flyweight title showdown between Valentina Shevchenko and Alexa Grasso will all be on display at UFC 285.