Du Plessis Called Makhachev Fight “Easy Money”
This January 28, 2025 story covered a hypothetical matchup, not a booked fight. Islam Makhachev had floated moving up two weight classes to challenge then-middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis. Du Plessis called the prospect “easy money” and said he would be open to it if the circumstances made sense, as MMA Fighting reported at the time. The bout never materialized, and the fighters’ careers moved in different directions.
Du Plessis lost the middleweight title
Du Plessis made one more successful defense against Sean Strickland before facing Khamzat Chimaev on August 16, 2025. Chimaev won their five-round contest by unanimous decision to take the championship. The official event results document the outcome.
Makhachev moved up to welterweight
Makhachev’s next major step was at welterweight, not middleweight. On November 15, 2025, he defeated Jack Della Maddalena by unanimous decision to capture the 170-pound championship. The official results from that event record his title-winning performance.
So the “easy money” remark remains a snapshot of a 2025 hypothetical. Du Plessis and Makhachev never fought each other; one title path ended at middleweight, while the other continued in a different division.
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Tags: MMA
