Dricus du Plessis heaps praise on "legend" Conor McGregor, explains why "every single fighter needs to thank him"
Dricus du Plessis had nothing but positive things to say about Conor McGregor. According to the middleweight champion, the entire UFC roster should appreciate McGregor for his contributions to the multibillion-dollar promotion.
Over the years, the UFC has greatly benefited from McGregor's marketability. He has been a major factor in elevating the sport and was a key figure in MMA becoming a mainstream entity.
McGregor has featured in eight of the 10 highest-grossing pay-per-views in UFC history, including the top five. These are astounding figures, and this facet of the sport isn't discussed nearly enough when discussing the greatest UFC fighters of all time.
In a recent appearance on The Sias du Plessis Show, du Plessis expressed his thoughts on McGregor. The reigning UFC middleweight champion credits McGregor for changing the landscape of the sport. He said:
''I mean, that guy, everything he touches, he’s such a legend in this sport, What he’s done for the sport, he’s transformed it into such a mainstream sport.”
'Stillknocks' claimed to have had a few fleeting encounters with McGregor. Though he had positive encounters with 'The Notorious', he is aware that the public's opinion of the Irishman may not be the best.
''I can understand disliking the persona but knowing... I don’t know him personally but meeting him, different person. And even if you don’t like him, you can’t ever, ever discredit what he’s done for this sport because every single fighter needs to thank him.''
Check out Dricus du Plessis' comments below (24:20):
Following a lengthy hiatus due to surgery and recovery, McGregor is poised to make his much-anticipated return against Michael Chandler at UFC 303. The five-round, 170-pound contest will take place on June 29 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Meanwhile, du Plessis is expected to make his maiden title defense against Israel Adesanya later this year.
When Dricus du Plessis mentioned Conor McGregor as his dream matchup
Dricus du Plessis captured the middleweight title at UFC 297, defeating Sean Strickland via split decision. The middleweight champion previously stated that he would consider it an honor to have the chance to fight Conor McGregor.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated's Justin Barrasso prior to UFC 297, 'Stillknocks' said:
''I would love the opportunity to fight Conor McGregor. I have been a massive fan of Conor since he came on the scene. When I was still a fan fighting in the local promotions, I was such a fan – and I still am.'' [H/t: Sports Illustrated]