Dricus Du Plessis solidified his first chance at gold on Saturday when he defeated fellow contender Robert Whittaker in the UFC 290 featured bout.
Du Plessis (20-2 MMA, 6-0 UFC) emerged from his middleweight title eliminator with former champ Whittaker (24-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) by second-round TKO at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, setting up a heated grudge match with champ Israel Adesanya at September’s UFC 293 event in Sydney after the pair faced off in the octagon in an emotional scene.
Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Du Plessis’ victory over Whittaker at UFC 290.
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MMA Junkie
HUGE FIGHT in the middleweight division coming up next. Robert Whittaker takes on Dricus Du Plessis. Any last minute predictions? 👇#UFC290 | Full coverage: https://t.co/akWiLzav3r pic.twitter.com/7Cund1iz2L
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) July 9, 2023
UFC
You can always feel that intensity when @RobWhittakerMMA walks out!
WE CAN’T WAIT FOR THIS 🔥 #UFC290 pic.twitter.com/Qej2dGfpDu
— UFC_AUSNZ (@UFC_AUSNZ) July 9, 2023
Luke Thomas
The timing on everything Whittaker does is *so* good.
— Luke Thomas🏋️♀️ (@lthomasnews) July 9, 2023
Alan Jouban
Right away, you see Whittaker, calm and countering, and Du Plessis, biting, and guarded. Du Plessis has to figure out how to lead the dance. #UFC290
— Alan Jouban (@AlanJouban) July 9, 2023
Kevin Iole
Du Plessis with a trip
— Kevin Iole (@KevinI) July 9, 2023
Sodiq Yusuff
Someone tell DC it just worked
— Sodiq Yusuff (@Super_Sodiq) July 9, 2023
Chris Curtis
I believe in full oxygen Dricus#UFC290
— Chris Curtis The Action Man (@Actionman513) July 9, 2023
Nolan King
Dricus Du Plessis just took down Robert Whittaker and sliced him open… and now he's in side control! 👀 #UFC290
— Nolan King (@mma_kings) July 9, 2023
Matthew Wells
Well, now. Du Plessis just took a round from the former champ. 😯#UFC290
— Matthew Wells (@MrMWells) July 9, 2023
Ben Askren
Wow everything DDP does is super ugly but he throws hard and awkwardness makes him hard to predict.
— Funky (@Benaskren) July 9, 2023
Teddy Atlas
In Vegas at UFC, Whittaker- Du Plessis, great start first round taken late by Du Plessis. #UFC290
— Teddy Atlas (@TeddyAtlasReal) July 9, 2023
Mike Bohn
Dricus Du Plessis knocks out Robert Whittaker. My god. What will the people say now. #UFC290
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohn) July 9, 2023
Chris Curtis
Is this real life?#UFC290
— Chris Curtis The Action Man (@Actionman513) July 9, 2023
Derek Brunson
I live in the land of what could’ve been …
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) July 9, 2023
Chael Sonnen
Told ya
— Chael Sonnen (@ChaelSonnen) July 9, 2023
Conor McGregor
Wow! That was a Proper whooping.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) July 9, 2023
Alan Jouban
OMG!!! #UFC290
— Alan Jouban (@AlanJouban) July 9, 2023
Stephen Thompson
We have a new middleweight contender 😳😳😳 that was crazy #UFC290
— “Wonderboy” Thompson (@WonderboyMMA) July 9, 2023
Ben Fowlkes
Wow. That was a much better performance from DDP than anything we’ve seen before. Book that Izzy fight now.
— Ben Fowlkes (@benfowlkesMMA) July 9, 2023
UFC
BOOK THE TITLE SHOT @DricusduPlessis finishes Rob Whittaker in the second at #UFC290! pic.twitter.com/8rArC8mdRX
— UFC (@ufc) July 9, 2023
Belal Muhammad
Izzy made that happen pic.twitter.com/gPtxLxXFtr
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) July 9, 2023
ESPN MMA
DRICUS DU PLESSIS BROUGHT THE BOOM TO #UFC290 💥 pic.twitter.com/kbLJNWx06f
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 9, 2023
Ben Askren
Put Izzy in the cage already 😂😂😂
— Funky (@Benaskren) July 9, 2023
Megan Anderson
Heartbreaking to see Rob loose as an Aussie but damnn.. DDP looked the best we've ever seen him in his career to date.
Make it official for September vs Adesanya #UFC290
— Megan Anderson (@MeganAnderson) July 9, 2023
MMA Junkie
#UFC290 results: Dricus Du Plessis (@DricusDuPlessis) def. Robert Whittaker via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 2:23
Full coverage: https://t.co/akWiLzav3r pic.twitter.com/8kTR1ikrJU
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) July 9, 2023
MMA Junkie
Dricus Du Plessis shocks the world to TKO Robert Whittaker then faces off with Israel Adesanya 🤯
Who ya got?!? #UFC290 pic.twitter.com/LjxbXw2c13
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) July 9, 2023
Lando Vannata
I hate seeing Bobby knuckles lose.
— Lando Vannata (@GroovyLando) July 9, 2023
I think Du Plessis beats Izzy with his awkwardness and top game 😲
— Lando Vannata (@GroovyLando) July 9, 2023
Conor McGregor
Huge congrats to South African MMA and South Africa, period! That is an incredible win for them inside the UFC’s Octagon! Title fight next for sure!
Let’s go S.A 🇿🇦 ❤️— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) July 9, 2023
UFC
The champ @Stylebender keeping an eye on his next possible challenger! 👀 #UFC290 pic.twitter.com/ItWSkjLjJb
— UFC_Asia (@UFC_Asia) July 9, 2023
Max Holloway
I guess 100% air du plessis is the real deal #UFC290
— Max Holloway (@BlessedMMA) July 9, 2023
Nina Ansaroff
Not good 😬😬😬 @ufc290
— Nina Ansaroff (@NinaAnsaroff) July 9, 2023
Megan Anderson
Wow.. Israel responding pretty emotionally there 😳 never seen him get that worked up before..
Book it!!! #UFC290
— Megan Anderson (@MeganAnderson) July 9, 2023
Ant Evans
Between his shameful appearance on Ariel's show and what we just saw, Israel Adesanya… well… gross.
— Ant Evans (@AntEvansMMA) July 9, 2023
UFC
And it didn't take long for 🏆@Stylebender and 🇿🇦@DricusDuPlessis to go at each other! 🤬 #UFC290 pic.twitter.com/VjpQ0rbaeo
— UFC_Asia (@UFC_Asia) July 9, 2023
Caposa
Nothing about Dricus makes sense. How is this possible
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) July 9, 2023
UFC
Next up at middleweight 🔥 #UFC290 pic.twitter.com/nNuYHyGHnz
— UFC (@ufc) July 9, 2023
Aljamain Sterling
That caught me all the way off guard! #UFC290
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) July 9, 2023
