Ariel Helwani gives five-word reaction to "heel" Dricus du Plessis bullying Brendan Allen after latter's UFC Paris loss
Following Brendan Allen's loss to Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Paris, Dricus du Plessis took to social media to taunt the American fighter. Allen responded with a fiery retort, calling out du Plessis for avoiding a fight with him.
Popular MMA journalist Ariel Helwani shared his reactions to the exchange between the two fighters. on his official X handle, Helwani wrote:
"Biggest heel in the game?"
Check out Ariel Helwani's post below:
The loss to Imavov was a setback for Allen, who had been on a seven-fight winning streak. However, the 28-year-old remains determined to climb the ranks and eventually challenge for the middleweight title.
Du Plessis, on the other hand, is currently the reigning champion and has been looking for a worthy opponent to test his skills.
Reinier de Ridder opens up on sparring with Dricus du Plessis ahead of UFC debut
Reinier de Ridder, a former ONE Championship double champion, will finally make his highly anticipated debut in the UFC. The Dutch fighter, known for his dominant performances in ONE, has signed a multi-fight contract with the promotion and is eager to make his mark in the middleweight division.
In his UFC debut, de Ridder will face Gerald Meerschaert, a middleweight record holder for most finishes. While Meerschaert presents a tough challenge, de Ridder is confident in his abilities and looks forward to showcasing his skills.
Beyond his immediate matchup with Meerschaert, de Ridder has expressed his desire to face top-ranked middleweights like Israel Adesanya, Sean Strickland, and Dricus Du Plessis.
De Ridder has previously trained with Du Plessis at Sanford MMA and has shared his experience of sparring with the current UFC middleweight champion. Speaking to MMA Junkie, de Ridder said:
“I’ve known Dricus for a long time… I’ve trained with him a little bit at Sanford [MMA] as well, Henri Hooft’s place… Kind of like what I was saying about Gerald, [his fight style] looks very awkward and this is what I got from sparring with him as well."
He added:
“He kicks from crazy angles, and his legs are in a weird position but he kind of gets you with it sometimes. Kind of like Gerald as well, he’s very durable, can take a hell of a punch as we saw in the Strickland fight” [H/t: Bloddy Elbow]
Check out Reinier de Ridder's interview below: