When pre-UFC fame Dricus du Plessis predicted Conor McGregor would knock out Khabib Nurmagomedov
Long before his UFC success, Dricus du Plessis shared his thoughts on the historic clash between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 before it happened. At the time, the South African fighter believed that McGregor had the ability to emerge victorious by knockout.
Notably, 'Stillknocks' was competing in the Polish MMA organization KSW amidst the build-up to the McGregor-Nurmagomedov fight and even offered a prediction in an interview. Speaking to InTheCage, du Plessis expressed his support for 'The Notorious' and confidently predicted that he would dethrone the Dagestani champion.
"Conor [McGregor] and Khabib [Nurmagomedov], it's going to be an amazing fight. Both are exceptional fighters and but I'm a big fan of Conor and I think Conor wins this one by knockout."
'Stillknocks' went on to provide an in-depth analysis of the matchup, adding:
"First, second round, I think Conor gets him. Khabib is very sloppy with his stand-up. He just runs forward. He's a brilliant wrestler and if he grabs you, Conor is going to be in trouble if Khabib gets him on the floor and even if he gets him in the first round if he gets him on the floor, Conor, I hope you prepared very well for that."
Check out Dricus du Plessis' comments below (2:31):
Nurmagomedov went on to submit McGregor in the fourth round. The bout remains the highest-grossing pay-per-view headliner in UFC history.
Dricus du Plessis heaps praise on Conor McGregor for elevating the sport
In 2013, Conor McGregor joined UFC as an ambitious and outspoken fighter, determined to make a name for himself in the sport. Through his impressive performances and charismatic persona, McGregor emerged as the face of MMA, bringing the sport to mainstream audiences.
Dricus du Plessis, who witnessed the rise of 'The Notorious', believes that every fighter should thank McGregor for MMA's immense popularity today. Speaking on The Sias du Plessis Show, 'Stillknocks' said:
"Anybody that dislikes Conor, obviously, 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 discredit what he's done for this sport."
The UFC middleweight champion continued:
"Because every single fighter needs to thank him, in my opinion, for the raise in pay, the raise in awareness of their sport. 'Cause I think Conor McGregor might be one of the most famous people on Earth... in such a short period of time in a sport that's not that mainstream, is spectacular.
Check out Dricus du Plessis' comments below (24:51):