After UFC 276, Dricus Du Plessis Is “Fighting the Big Dogs Now,” Gastelum or Otherwise

Las Vegas, NV — The first decision in the career of Dricus Du Plessis was a thoroughly entertaining one.

A three-round war with Brad Tavares didn’t just entertain fans, however, but Du Plessis himself.

“Finally got that decision win. First time going to a decision, and it couldn’t have gone any better,” South Africa’s Du Plessis (17-2) exclaimed following the fight, part of UFC 276 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. “If a decision had to be like that, I would go to a decision every time. Because that is a hard fought decision, that is a decision the crowd loves. That is a decision that, doesn’t matter if that fight was finished or not, people were entertained, I was entertained. I left everything in there.”

The middleweight, a former KSW and EFC champ, expects the victory to land him in the rankings later this week.

“This is when I step into the top 15, and I’m not leaving this top 15. I’m only going up from here. This fight has to put the rest of the division on notice. If I don’t knock you out, if I don’t submit you, at the end, in the deep waters, I will still be there, throwing with everything I have.”

As for what comes next — or more accurately who — Du Plessis would like to get back the match-up he briefly had with Kelvin Gastelum earlier this year. But if that isn’t forthcoming, anyone ranked will do.

“I’m not the matchmaker, but I feel it [the Gastelum fight] makes sense. The fight was basically already made. I did him a solid, I did the UFC a solid to take that fight on very short notice, and I was the only one that lost it. I gave up my opponent, he pulled out on fight week and I was left without a fight. That’s in the past. I’ve got a massive performance now, I’ve got my new contract, I’m fighting the big dogs now,” said Du Plessis. “If they don’t want to make the Gastelum fight, give me somebody else in the top 10. Whoever they want to give, I’m ready. I think tonight proved it. I’ve got two knockouts, and tonight I got that very good decision. I showed that I’m not only a one or two round fighter, I’m a guy that can go the distance.”

Watch the full UFC 276 post-fight press conference with Dricus Du Plessis above. More coverage from the event can be found below.