LAS VEGAS – Dricus Du Plessis respects Brad Tavares as a fighter, but thinks the sport has passed him by.
Du Plessis (16-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) meets perennial middleweight contender Tavares (19-6 MMA, 14-6 UFC) at UFC 276 on Saturday. Tavares has fought a who’s-who at 185 pounds, ranging from current UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya to former champ Robert Whittaker and ex-title challenger Yoel Romero.
Boasting a 100 percent finish rate, South Africa’s Du Plessis plans on showing Tavares why he represents the new wave of fighters.
“I think they’re really not doing me any favors getting into the top 15,” Du Plessis told reporters Wednesday at UFC 276 media day. “He’s an incredibly tough opponent. I think he’s always been game – he always comes to fight, he’s always in shape. You don’t see this guy just gassing out in a fight because he didn’t prepare. You don’t see this guy going away. I mean, he fought Yoel Romero, (and) he stayed competitive until the end. He got beat pretty badly by the champ, but it wasn’t like he just shelled up. He tried to get that fight. He tried to get the champ out of there every chance he got. But he’s not fighting one of those guys – he’s fighting me. He’s an incredible fighter. I think he always has been. But I do think he’s never quite progressed.
“If you look at his age, if you look at all of his fights, if you look at from Day 1 to now, not a lot of change happening in his style. He’s not going to shoot for the takedown, is he? No. He’s not going to start to strike more strategically. No, he’s going to come out there and bang, his traditional muay Thai style, trying to throw the heavy legs kicks. That’s what he’s going to do. He’s always fought like that, and it’s worked for him, and it hasn’t worked for him, but that’s the way he fights. He’s not going to change any time soon. Respect to him – he’s an amazing athlete and a really tough fighter and a great gatekeeper, but there’s a new generation coming through.”
UFC 276 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC/ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.
Check out the full media day interview with Du Plessis in the video above.
Dricus Du Plessis: Brad Tavares ‘a great gatekeeper, but there’s a new generation coming through’