Dricus Du
Plessis claims he forgot what losing felt like before his first
defeat in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The former middleweight champion returns to action against
ex-welterweight king Kamaru
Usman in the
UFC Oklahoma City main event on July 18, his first appearance
since dropping the 185-pound championship to Khamzat
Chimaev at
UFC 319 last year. The defeat snapped an eight-year unbeaten
streak dating back to a knockout loss during his time on
KSW.

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Dricus Du Plessis reflects on losing the UFC middleweight title
and his return against Kamaru Usman

Ahead of his return to the Octagon nearly a year after his loss to
Chimaev, du Plessis has opened up about losing his middleweight
crown, revealing initial disappointment followed by a surge of
motivation to regain the title.

“Yeah, so I haven’t lost in quite some time — eight years — and I
kind of forgot how it felt,“ du Plessis said in a recent interview.
“Now, I know exactly why. I absolutely hate it. I hate losing; I
hate not being a champion. I’m a guy that’s the best in the world —
I deserve a title. I have to have that title. When I lost it, it
made me realize why I wanted to become champion in the first place
and why I will do it again.”

„Stillknocks“ further admitted that the effects of the defeat
lingered well after the fight, but believes that’s part of being a
champion.

“Dealing with that loss, it stung for quite a while,“ he added. „It
stung for a month after that fight. And if it didn’t sting like
that, it would have been a problem — it means I didn’t appreciate
it. I’m a terrible loser, and I’ll prove that on Saturday.”

IMAK ADMIN

By IMAK ADMIN

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