UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis says he would prefer to face Khamzat Chimaev in his next title defence rather than a rematch with Sean Strickland.
Du Plessis beat Strickland by split decision at UFC 297 in January to win the title before going on to successfully defend his belt against Israel Adesanya in August via fourth-round submission.
It was widely thought, not least by Strickland himself, that South African Du Plessis would face the American challenger again in his next fight.
However, Chimaev's sensational victory over Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi last week has catapulted the Chechen-born fighter into the title conversation.
Chimaev, who represents the UAE, forced Whittaker to tap after applying a face crank less than a minute into the bout, disfiguring the former middleweight champion's teeth in the process.
He made a beeline for UFC president Dana White after the bout, and when asked who he wanted to face next, said: “It doesn’t matter Sean or Dricus, just going for the gold. We’ll see what happens next. I’m ready."
The call out seems to have had the desired effect, with Du Plessis (22-2 in MMA) saying he is more "excited" to face Chimaev than Strickland and aims to become the first man to beat the former, who boasts a perfect record of 14-0 in mixed martial arts.
"We always knew that, between Rob and Khamzat, if it was going to be something exceptional that happens, there might be a change in the title fight," Du Plessis said during an interview with the YouTube channel Radioraps that was posted Wednesday.
"We have no clarity on that, but as a fan of the sport, and as the middleweight champion of the world, that's a fight that gets me more excited – taking somebody's 0. I've beaten Strickland before, and I know I'll beat him again.
"Getting that Khamzat fight, that gets me excited. I think the whole world, the fans want to see it. The fans ultimately pay to watch the fights. So, the fight the world thinks is the best next fight, that's what I want.
"I think the Khamzat fight is 100 percent what I want. The UFC is going to do what they're going to do, but from a fan perspective and from a fighter's perspective, I think Khamzat should get the next shot."
Du Plessis' coach, Morne Visser, expressed a similar sentiment on Instagram.
"We want Khamzat next in February," Visser posted. "Prepare to be amazed once again."
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