Coach claims Dricus Du Plessis may not receive a title shot after failing to step up against Israel Adesanya at UFC 293

City Kickboxing’s Eugene Bareman has questioned whether or not Dricus du Plessis will end up receiving a title shot.

After his win over Robert Whittaker earlier this summer, it seemed like a certainty that Dricus du Plessis would challenge Israel Adesanya for the UFC middleweight championship. It was also suggested that it would take place at UFC 293, which takes place in Sydney, Australia next month.

However, that won’t be the case. The South African reportedly won’t be ready in time for the event, meaning that Sean Strickland has been called up to step in.

RELATED: ISRAEL ADESANYA CLAIMS “SCARED” DRICUS DU PLESSIS DOESN’T WANT TO FIGHT HIM: “HE’S A B*TCH”

In the eyes of Eugene Bareman, Adesanya’s coach, du Plessis has dropped the ball in a big way.

“Well I don’t make that call, but the problem is if you don’t step up and take fights you go into the pool,” Bareman explained. “That’s a fact. Nothing in this sport is solid until there’s something signed on the dotted line. If he’s got nothing signed on the dotted line, then he’s out there in the ether.”

Bareman questions du Plessis

“He had a shot, it’s the same shot that many of my boys have had here, fought for titles or have had titles. You never, never, never – and we’ve fought with horrific injuries, because you don’t take that lightly. And the problem with them is, ‘I’ve had an injury’. And yeah, it’s been a bad injury. So what? You’ve taken your shot for granted, you think you’re gonna get it again? But you don’t know what this machine does. You don’t know the UFC, you don’t know what they do, you don’t know how they twist and turn things. Never feel comfortable with where you are. If there’s something in front of you that you’ve been working for your whole life, don’t think for a minute just like that. And he had it, and he let it slip. So they can’t be sitting comfortable thinking that they’ve got the next shot.”

Quotes via MMA News

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