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Sean O’Malley Breaks Down Dricus Du Plessis’s Grappling Chances Against Whittaker and Chimaev’s Defense
Sean O'Malley analyzes Dricus Du Plessis's ground game against potential matchups with Whittaker and Chimaev. Can his grappling hold up? Discover now!
Dricus Du Plessis stunned everyone with his win over Israel Adesanya at UFC 305. But how will he fare against Robert Whittaker or Khamzat Chimaev? Bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley has some thoughts on that. O'Malley praised Du Plessis's grappling skills, saying they were key to his victory.
But can those skills help him in future fights? O'Malley isn’t so sure. He believes Whittaker’s takedown defense could neutralize Du Plessis’s ground game. And if it's Chimaev next, grappling might actually favor the Chechen fighter. So, does Du Plessis have what it takes to defend his title again?
Sean O’Malley didn’t hold back when discussing Dricus Du Plessis’s performance at UFC 305. The bantamweight champion praised Du Plessis for his well-rounded skills, especially how he mixed up striking and grappling to secure the win. O'Malley said, "He’s extremely good at mixing it up. When you f**king crack someone so hard, they make mistakes on the ground." Before the fight, former UFC heavyweight contender Brendan Schaub predicted that Israel Adesanya would "outclass" Du Plessis.
Schaub was confident that the "old, vintage Izzy" would emerge victorious. However, Du Plessis proved him wrong by finishing Adesanya in the fourth round. After the fight, Du Plessis fired back at Schaub, calling him a "never been" and playfully mocking his prediction.
In the octagon, Du Plessis displayed superior grappling skills that ultimately led to his victory. He rocked Adesanya multiple times with clean shots, which caused Adesanya to make a crucial mistake. Adesanya gave up his back during a grappling exchange, allowing Du Plessis to sink in a rear-naked choke and secure the submission win in the fourth round.
However, O'Malley believes that Du Plessis’s grappling might not be as effective in future matchups. "I don’t think for the next couple of fights it is going to be that big of an advantage," O'Malley remarked. He pointed out that Robert Whittaker has incredible takedown defense, which could neutralize Du Plessis’s ground game. And if Du Plessis faces Khamzat Chimaev, O'Malley thinks grappling might actually favor Chimaev.
Dricus du Plessis’s head coach, Morne Visser, prefers to see his fighter move up to light heavyweight rather than have Alex Pereira drop down to middleweight for a title fight. In an interview with Submission Radio, Visser stated, “No, I won’t give him the joy to go down to 185. We’ll just go up.”
He believes that if Pereira loses after cutting weight, he might use it as an excuse, saying he was fatigued. Instead, Visser wants du Plessis to challenge Pereira at light heavyweight, where both fighters would be at their best. Visser also hinted at a potential timeline for the fight, suggesting it could happen in December after Pereira’s October bout.
Du Plessis backed up his coach’s stance, saying, “If Izzy stiffens you like that, you do not want to be there with me, especially with excuses.” The South African champ is ready to take on Pereira—on his terms.
What do you think? Will du Plessis’s grappling be enough to keep him on top, or will his next opponents pose a different challenge?
Also read: Magomed Ankalaev Lashes Out at Alex Pereira Following His Middleweight Desires: 'Biggest Chicken…'
