3 possible next opponents for Dricus du Plessis after UFC 305 win

UFC 305 was an incredible event as it went into action on August 17. Dricus du Plessis shocked the world again as he became the first fighter to submit Israel Adesanya. He shut down another narrative as many were saying Adesanya, as a contender, is an undefeated, dangerous fighter. Du Plessis was impressive as he outwrestled Adesanya well, and, and he got the better of some striking exchanges even. As a new, fresh-faced champion, du Plessis has multiple options for his next title defense.

1. Jared Cannonier vs. Caio Borralho winner

No. 5 ranked Jared Cannonier will take on No. 12 ranked Caio Borralho in an APEX main event on August 24. The time could not be any more perfect with a new, remaining champion, who is open to any new challengers. Cannonier and Borralho have a major opportunity to show off an impressive performance and possibly leapfrog other top contenders. This is a veteran vs young prospect matchup, and a title fight would be a great opportunity for either. Cannonier is 40, has been competing for more than a decade, and does not have much time left in his career. Borralho is 31, is on a 15-fight winning streak, and is a rising star with good potential.

Cannonier started as a heavyweight, who transitioned to light heavyweight until he finally came into his current weight class, middleweight. He is one of the few UFC fighters who holds knockouts in three different weight classes. Cannonier has shared the Octagon with various fighters such as Ion Cuțelaba, Glover Teixeira, Anderson Silva, and Jack Hermansson. Borralho trains at the Fighting Nerds, a high-level Brazilian gym whose athletes keep on impressing the masses. He is well-rounded with solid striking and grappling. He holds victories over different fighters, including Armen Petrosyan, Michał Oleksiejczuk, Abus Magomedov, and most recently, Paul Craig.

The winner of this fight could make a fun, stylistic matchup for du Plessis, especially at the end of the year, if Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler does not end up happening. Since du Plessis avoided taking insane damage against Adesanya, the winner of this fight would have to also not take that much damage, since the best time of this possible fight would be December. This option seems most unlikely, though, as the UFC seems to have its eyes on other stars fighting for the title. However, this is MMA, as it is not just unpredictable in fights but business decisions. Dana White was previously not enthusiastic about du Plessis getting the title shot since he turned down the title shot against Adesanya at UFC 293. He ended up fighting for the title at UFC 297 since a main event was needed as soon as possible.

2. Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev winner

This is a fight the UFC has its eyes on since it is a five-round co-main event at UFC 308. On October 26, No. 3 ranked Robert Whittaker will meet No. 11 ranked Khamzat Chimaev in a title eliminator at Abu Dhabi. This is rescheduled from a canceled bout, as both fighters were supposed to fight in a Saudi Arabia main event on June 22. Since Chimaev got sick, Ikram Aliskerov, a rising prospect with great hype, stepped in and got knocked out by Whittaker in the first round. Du Plessis already knocked out Whittaker at UFC 290, leading Whittaker to bounce back with two impressive wins over Paulo Costa and Aliskerov. Despite issues with his health and inability to leave his country, the UFC sees great potential in Chimaev, resulting in them giving him title contention opportunities.

Whittaker was once the middleweight champion, best known for his two wars with Yoel Romero. He is a high-level striker with wins over numerous fighters at middleweight, except Adesanya and du Plessis. Notable wins include Derek Brunson, Kelvin Gastelum, Marvin Vettori, and Darren Till. Chimaev is an explosive, dangerous wrestler with good, knockout power but bad cardio. In addition to an undefeated record, he has a psychotic personality that can intimidate many fighters. Chimaev's major wins include Li Jingliang, Gilbert Burns, Kevin Holland, and Kamaru Usman.

The winner of this fight would be a suitable option for du Plessis if he wants to take a break and feels there is more value in facing the contender who would come out of this fight. If Whittaker derails the hype of Chimaev, that sets up a fascinating rematch where both fighters can put on a better fight with better skills. If Chimaev wins, that sets up an exciting matchup with two fighters, on winning streaks while in their prime. This will all depend on when du Plessis will want to return, which he has yet to state. Either way, the winner of this title eliminator would set up a title fight that will be worth tuning into.

1. Sean Strickland rematch

This seems most likely since White says he wants him to get the next title shot. Du Plessis seems open to anybody next, and would likely run it back with Sean Strickland if the company wanted it. Du Plessis and Strickland had a close battle at UFC 297 in one of the year's best fights. Many people thought Strickland won, and that was part of why Strickland kept calling for a rematch. After his victory over Costa at UFC 302, Strickland said he was fighting for the title and said he was going to sit back waiting. Strickland and du Plessis have had their trash-talk moments back and forth, making their last build-up entertaining.

Strickland is a pressure-heavy striker, with good boxing and high striking defense. He is difficult to hit as he moves forward, while he rarely gets tired and can check calf kicks well. Strickland is known for loudmouthed trash talk and controversial political takes. He holds wins over fighters such as Adesanya, Nassourdine Imavov, Brendan Allen, and Uriah Hall. In addition to having a close fight with du Plessis, Strickland may be getting another title shot due to always being a company man, fighting anyone anytime while stepping in on short notice to save fights on cards. Strickland is famous for training 24/7, which likely explains why he is well-conditioned.

This would make a good main event for December if, yet again, McGregor vs. Chandler does not materialize. If the UFC is committed to Strickland getting his title shot and December is taken, they can also do the fight in early 2025. This would be a good fight to finally end the rivalry and see who is the better fight after all. While Strickland is not the most entertaining fighter style-wise, du Plessis will make sure it is a good fight yet again, as long as it lasts this time. We will surely get another fun build-up due to both fighters having strong trash talk.