DDP targets statement comeback against Usman

Eleven months have passed since du Plessis lost his middleweight belt to Khamzat Chimaev in frustrating fashion, but the former champ says he is eager to test himself against “The Nigerian Nightmare”. 

"We've been talking about the fight for a long time. He's mentioned the fight way before I made the fight. And I said, 'Cool, I'll take that fight,' because some people say, 'Why don't you fight (Nassourdine) Imavov?' I don't mind that fight either. I want to fight someone who gets me to my title again," said du Plessis.

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The existing bad blood between du Plessis and Usman stems from the original debate around who is and isn’t the so-called ‘real African Champion’. However, the proud South African was quick to acknowledge the UFC legacy of Usman.

"Kamara Usman is arguably the best welterweight ever, you know, alongside with George Empere, if you go on title defense and all that. So, he started his career out at middleweight, has a win over Sean Strickland, had that very close fight with Hamza Cemal. And that's why I wanted this fight."

"What's it going to mean for me to go out there and beat another striker? I've done that many times. I've defended my belt against strikers. I've beaten the best, which is Strickland, at middleweight twice"

"So, why go out there and fight another striker? People are going to be like, yeah, okay, well, we know he can strike. What about the rest of them? And grappling is, obviously, of my last fight."

"I want to go out there and prove what I've done. Prove, like I said, go out and figure this out and go show the problem that the middleweights have on their hands now. Because now I am more complete, and I was a complete fighter. But now I am complete in all areas, and I can't wait to go and show that."

In the lead up to this fight between the two former Champions, du Plessis stressed that the 39-year-old Usman did not want to fight the South African initially, and that he refused to sign the contract until the UFC convinced him to do so.

du Plessis says after his loss to Chimaev, he took the lessons on board, and endeavored to become a more complete fighter.