UFC 264: 5 names to look out for
Another weekend is closing in, and another stacked UFC pay-per-view is almost upon us. This weekend's event will see the continuation of fans returning to arenas with the first sold-out Las Vegas crowd in well over a year.
The promotion will welcome an audience of 20,000+ to the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event will mark the fourth to be held in front of a full crowd since the easing of restrictions following the Covid-19 outbreak.
The PPV is stacked from top to bottom. At the top of the card is a blockbuster trilogy fight between MMA's biggest star Conor McGregor and Louisiana's Dustin Poirier. With their rivalry level at one win apiece and with a shot at Charles Oliveira's lightweight title at stake, the headlining fight is set to be an absolute thriller.
With the likes of Stephen Thompson, Gilbert Burns, Sean O'Malley, Carlos Condit and Niko Price also in action, UFC 264 is expected to be one of the biggest PPV's of 2021.
With exciting bouts throughout, this weekend’s event could bring us more memorable moments, but who could be providing them?
Ahead of Saturday’s card, here are five names to look out for at UFC 264.
5) Dricus Du Plessis - UFC middleweight
I’m not sure if it comes from cricket’s Faf du Plessis or rugby’s Bismarck du Plessis, but something about "du Plessis" just makes me assume the person is good at their sport. 'Stillknocks' is MMA’s "du Plessis" success story. And he’s only just getting started.
Dricus du Plessis is one of South Africa’s top MMA stars. Before making his UFC debut on Fight Island last October, he had excelled elsewhere. He’s a former EFC double champion at middleweight and welterweight. He’s a former KSW welterweight champion. He’s a K-1 kickboxing champion. He’s a scary middleweight, and he’s arrived in the UFC.
Du Plessis, 27, stepped into the octagon for the first-time eight months ago. Against Markus Perez, the South African secured a first-round knockout. With nine of his 15 wins coming by submission, the Pretoria native boasts strong wrestling skills alongside his ever-improving striking.
Visa issues prevented him from facing Trevin Giles at UFC Vegas 22. With those problems resolved, 'Stillknocks' is set to return to the octagon in front of a sold-out Las Vegas crowd this weekend at UFC 264. On a stacked card, his re-arranged fight against Giles has gone under the radar in the lead up to the PPV. It certainly shouldn't and, for me, there isn't another fight I'm more excited for below the headlining trilogy bout.