Dricus du Plessis is finally starting to convince people he’s the real deal, including the oddsmakers.
This past Saturday, du Plessis successfully defended his middleweight title with a fourth-round submission of former two-time champion Israel Adesanya in the main event of UFC 305. The win was du Plessis’s first title defense and now firmly entrenches him as the man to beat at 185 pounds. And that holds true with the oddsmakers as well, as Sportsbetting.ag released odds for a number of possible next opponents for the champion, and du Plessis is favored to beat almost all of them.
Dricus du Plessis (-130) vs. Sean Strickland (+110)
Dricus du Plessis (-200) vs. Alex Pereira (+170)
Dricus du Plessis (-185) vs. Robert Whittaker (+160)
For reference, a bettor placing a $100 wager on du Plessis would win $76 should he defeat Strickland, $50 should he defeat Pereira, and $54 should he beat Whittaker again. Also, the odds for the Pereira matchup are for a bout at 185 pounds, not at light heavyweight.
However, there was one opponent that oddsmakers did not like du Plessis’s chances against: Khamzat Chimaev.
Dricus du Plessis (+170) vs. Khamzat Chimaev (-200)
Against Chimaev, a $100 bet on du Plessis would return net $170 dollars.
Strickland appears to be the most likely next contender for du Plessis. The two fought to a split decision back at UFC 297, where “Stillknocks” took the middleweight title, and UFC CEO Dana White has already said Strickland should get the next title shot.
However, Chimaev and Robert Whittaker are scheduled to fight at UFC 308 on Oct. 26 in Abu Dhabi, and with du Plessis declaring Whittaker as the most deserving of the next shot, it’s possible the winner of that fight cuts to the head of the line.
