Count Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall among those majorly impressed by Dricus Du Plessis' performance Down Under this past weekend.
Du Plessis made the walk at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, to put his middleweight gold on the line against the returning Israel Adesanya. The pair met in the UFC 305 main event, following an undercard that included standout wins for the likes of Dan Hooker and Kai Kara-France.
"The Last Stylebender" couldn't make it three wins from three for Auckland's City Kickboxing gym, with his South African counterpart finding a submission in round four to emerge victorious from a competitive and enthralling headliner.
Having long been doubted owing to his unusual approach to fighting, Du Plessis has no doubt been enjoying his victory lap, laughing at those who spoke ill of his chances against Adesanya.
"Stillknocks" has been getting increased respect and praise from many after successfully defending his gold for the first time, and not many plaudits have come grander than those of the interim heavyweight champ...
Aspinall On Du Plessis' UFC 305 Win: 'Just Looked Fantastic Out There'
During a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, Aspinall reacted to his promotion's latest PPV event and the matchup that concluded it inside the RAC Arena.
Aspinall shared a common sentiment when it comes to deciphering what it is about Du Plessis that makes him so effective. Whatever it is, the heavyweight champ is impressed, so much so that he placed the South African among the most intelligent athletes currently competing on MMA's biggest stage.
DDP, you can’t count this guy out," Aspinall said. "I watch fights as a fan, but I also watch fights as a fighter to try and pick up little nuances, and I love to study different styles. For me personally, DDP is a guy who I’m baffled by, in all honesty. I’m completely baffled by his style because you watch him and, to be brutally honest, he looks a little bit inferior to his opponents in terms of technique, but it’s amazing to watch because he obviously isn’t inferior.
The gameplans that this guy and his coaches are doing are absolutely unbelievable. Me personally, I think he’s one of the smartest fighters in the UFC and his team must be very, very smart as well," Aspinall continued. "The guy just finds a way to win. He’s extremely physically strong. ... He looks a little bit messy, and I’m sure we all can agree on that. But he makes up for it in spirit, his will to win, and persistence. If he doesn’t get what he’s going for, he will keep going and grind his opponents down until he gets it. He just looked fantastic out there (at UFC 305).
Like Aspinall, plenty have been confused by Du Plessis' style and continued success, be it more fellow fighters, veteran analysts, or fans.
But the South African has evidently found an approach that works incredibly well for him, and having proved his detractors wrong yet again, perhaps questions surrounding his unorthodox strategies will die down as his title reign continues on its way.