Dricus du Plessis reveals his top P4P fighter, and it's not Islam Makhachev: "I'm a massive fan"

Dricus du Plessis has revealed who he believes is the No.1 P4P fighter in the UFC, and it's not the man who currently sits at the top of the list.

'Stillknocks' is currently riding high after he successfully defended his middleweight title for a second time at UFC 312 last weekend. The South African faced Sean Strickland once again, dominating the fight from the off as he cruised to a unanimous decision victory.

Following his win, du Plessis spoke to Daniel Cormier for his post-fight comments, where he opted to make the surprising callout of light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, who was in Strickland's corner for the fight. He said:

“Since [Pereira] is standing directly across the octagon: ‘Is there no-one else? Is there no one else?’”

Watch the clip here:

After Dricus du Plessis' went backstage and took part in his post-fight duties, he spoke to FULL SEND MMA where he was asked to clarify his comments about Pereira.

It was then that the 31-year-old expressed his admiration for the Brazilian, stating that 'Poatan' is his No.1 pound-for-pound fighter and not Islam Makhachev, who sits in the top spot of the UFC's official rankings. Du Plessis said:

"I'm a massive fan of Alex Pereira just so everybody knows. He's the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. The best combat athlete to ever walk this earth up until now [is] Alex Pereira. What he's done outside of the UFC and what he's been able to do in the UFC, I think he's the greatest. I think he's the best and it would be an honor to share the cage with him."

Check out Dricus du Plessis' comments here (4:22):

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Nassourdine Imavov calls out Dricus du Plessis for chasing 'big money' fight against Khamzat Chimaev

Whilst it is unlikely Dricus du Plessis will face-off against Alex Pereira any time soon, there are two contenders in the middleweight division each with a stake for a title shot.

Nassourdine Imavov recently stunned the world when he knocked out Israel Adesanya at UFC Fight Night Saudi Arabia, and Khamzat Chimaev cemented himself as a contender with his dominant victory over Robert Whittaker at UFC 308.

Du Plessis was then asked about the potential contenders at the UFC 312 post-fight presser, where he stated he was more interested in facing Chimaev as the fight would likely make him more money.

Imavov then took to X to respond to du Plessis' comments, where he opted to remind the South African what the UFC is all about. He wrote:

“That's what the @ufc is all about, allow the best to become champ, no matter their fame, you're a good example of that. You took advantage of it and now you’re closing the door. Khamzat is a superstar, he'll sell against anyone. Him or me, your time’s coming @dricusduplessis."

Check out Nassourdine Imavov's post here: