"How dare you!" - Dricus du Plessis responds to Alex Pereira's "clown" comment, addresses "scared" allegations

UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis has fired back at former divisional title holder Alex Pereira, who recently accused him of avoiding a fight. Pereira, now champion at light heavyweight, previously expressed his desire to drop down to middleweight and challenge du Plessis for the title.

In an interview with Full Send MMA, Pereira reiterated his claims that du Plessis is "scared" to face him, stating that the South African is avoiding the matchup. Pereira also suggested that making the weight cut to 185 pounds would be more challenging than fighting du Plessis himself.

Du Plessis, however, has vehemently denied Pereira's accusations. In a recent post on X, the middleweight champion responded to Pereira's comments, writing:

"A scared clown how dare you! Now that's taking it too far. I've already said I'm in to fight either you or [Sean Strickland] what more do you want or should I tag your translator?"

Check out Dricus du Plessis' post below:

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Robert Whittaker weighs in on Dricus du Plessis' recent success in the middleweight division

Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker has praised Dricus du Plessis' unwavering mental toughness as the key factor behind his recent success in the octagon.

Whittaker, who faced du Plessis in a title eliminator bout at UFC 290, believes that the South African's relentless drive and determination are what sets him apart from other fighters in the division. Despite not possessing the same level of striking skill as some of his opponents, du Plessis has consistently found ways to win fights through his grappling prowess and sheer willpower.

Speaking to Main Event, 'The Reaper' said:

“I think he’s got a really solid headspace and mentality for winning fights. I think that’s his superpower because he’s an awkward dude, he obviously hits really hard, and he’s tough as nails. But I think all of that stems from his relentlessness mentally. He’s literally willing to die out there, and I think if you don’t match that mentality if you don’t come into the octagon with the same headspace, you’re not going to take it from him.”

Check out Robert Whittaker's comments below (2:00):