Dricus Du Plessis has backed Conor McGregor as certainly one of his 5 biggest of all time within the UFC.
‘Stillknocks’ is within the closing week of preparation for his UFC 312 title protection towards Sean Strickland after the promotion surprisingly booked the rematch instead of giving Khamzat Chimaev the title shot.
Forward of his second title protection, Dricus Du Plessis has been concerned in a brief feud with lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev, who’s broadly considered the pound-for-pound best fighter on the planet.
READ MORE: Dricus du Plessis plans to celebrate beating Sean Strickland at UFC 312 by breaking famous beer drinking record
Du Plessis backs Conor McGregor as he names five-man GOAT checklist
Forward of his UFC 312 title protection, the South African champion has already defeated one fighter who’s broadly thought-about one of many biggest middleweight fighters of all time, Israel Adesanya.
READ MORE: Israel Adesanya declares ‘I’ll be back’ in first post since UFC Saudi Arabia
Regardless of that, if Du Plessis is hopeful of catching up with Adesanya and Anderson Silva, he nonetheless has many title defenses to go.
And with that, the middleweight champion has listed his four-man biggest of all time checklist, surprisingly together with former UFC double champion, Conor McGregor.
Du Plessis claimed that regardless of the controversy surrounding the Irishman and his profession in the intervening time and whether or not he’ll return to the Octagon, he must be applauded for what he has performed beforehand.
“If he’s performed, good on him, I’ve been a fan of his for very lengthy, I used to be nonetheless up and coming when he burst on the scene,” Du Plessis started to elucidate on the Straight Speak Podcast.
“GOAT checklist, that’s a tricky one. I imply, you may’t ever deny the good Jon Jones, by no means, ever… He’s the best of all time, for certain, you may’t deny that.
“Then, after all, Conor McGregor, an enormous inspiration for me by way of how he modified the game, how he approached the game, he’s an ideal inspiration to once I was younger and the best way to strategy it.
“The man that obtained me into the game was Mirko Cro Cop for the K1 days, at the least that’s how I began, he was within the UFC however he was already 40 years previous, he was unimaginable.
“Anderson Silva was the man that, the spotlight reels that I (appeared as much as), clearly you’ve seen me battle, it doesn’t appear like Anderson Silva however I all the time tried,” Du Plessis continued.
Nonetheless, the middleweight champion’s closing decide got here as an enormous shock as he picked former welterweight title challenger, Gilbert Burns.
“Then certainly one of my favourite fighters, a man that I’ve educated with and a man that I do know, one of many nicest folks as properly and he’s additionally down for something, Gilbert Burns… How I see that’s simply the work ethic of that man,” Du Plessis acknowledged.
Du Plessis explains why Alex Pereira misses out on his GOAT checklist
Regardless of naming Burns on his GOAT checklist, the South African neglected the present mild heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira.
Though ‘Poatan’ solely joined the UFC in 2021 and wasn’t very skilled in MMA, he has shortly risen to superstardom and he’s the promotion’s largest energetic star, having received each middleweight and lightweight heavyweight gold.
Nonetheless, Du Plessis has admitted that he doesn’t come into his GOAT checklist due to the truth that he sees him as a rival. Pereira will be part of Strickland’s corner team for his UFC 312 title battle towards Du Plessis.
“How’s it going to really feel being in Sean Strickland’s nook shedding once more? Ask him that. Inform him, sooner or later once we battle he’ll be 0-2. After we talked about my GOAT checklist, I can’t identify him as a result of he’s a possible opponent… I feel he’s one of many biggest fight athletes to ever reside,” Du Plessis admitted.