Daniel Cormier sends eye-opening warning to Islam Makhachev about not underestimating Dricus du Plessis: "We just watched him submit Israel Adesanya"

Daniel Cormier has cautioned Islam Makhachev not to underestimate Dricus du Plessis after reports of a potential fight between the two surfaced on the internet. According to Cormier, du Plessis' past performances against elite middleweight fighters demonstrate how formidable an opponent he is.

For context, during the UFC 311 post-fight press conference, Makhachev expressed his desire to move up in order to fulfill his dreams of becoming a double champion, which he believes is critical to his legacy. He then mentioned a possible clash with du Plessis.

However, the 33-year-old's remarks didn't sit well with the reigning middleweight champion, who issued a stern warning, citing that he would outclass Makhachev in every way.

In a video posted on Cormier's YouTube channel last month, the UFC Hall of Famer discussed the potential clash between Makhachev and du Plessis. 'DC' asserted that the South African would be a very tough matchup for the Dagetsani, citing the former's strong performance at UFC 305, where he became the first fighter to submit Adesanya.

Cormier said:

''I know it may not look as appealing to some as they want their world champions to look but, we just watched him submit Israel Adesanya... We have seen him beat Sean Strickland, we have seen him finish Robert Whittaker, at some point, we have to respect Dricus du Plessis.''

Cormier also added that du Plessis' big stature might pose a threat to Makhachev.

''I think Islam respects him. I don’t know that Islam would understand how hard it would be to fight a guy of that size. I think this guy might weigh 220 when he’s not making weight...Now I’m not saying that he can’t do it, I just think that it’s much harder than I think anyone understands to go up two weight classes.” [H/t: MMA Junkie]

Check out the full video below:

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Islam Makhachev believes he can defeat Dricus du Plessis

In a recent interview with Ushatayka, Islam Makhachev claimed to know how to defeat Dricus du Plessis, suggesting that a fresh rivalry between the two men may be on the horizon. He said:

''I'm not saying that I can 100 percent finish Du Plessis, but watching his fights, his style, I think I have the keys to victory."

Makhachev successfully defended his lightweight title for the fourth time after submitting Renato Moicano in the first round at UFC 311. Meanwhile, du Plessis is scheduled to defend his title against Sean Strickland in a rematch at UFC 312 this weekend.