The UFC 285 Prelims continue rolling with this matchup of top-10 fighters in the Middleweight (185 lb) Division. No.5 ranked Derek Brunson will hope to earn a title shot as he takes on South Africa's Dricus Du Plessis. Both men can make serious moves in the rankings with a win over one another. Check out our UFC odds series for our Brunson-Du Plessis prediction and pick.
Derek Brunson is 23-8 overall in his career and has gone 14-6 in his time with the UFC. He lost his last time in the octagon to Jared Cannonier around a year ago, but went on an impressive five-fight win streak before that in which he won fights by decision, submission, and TKO. Brunson will look to return to his streaking form against another hot fighter in Du Plessis. Brunson stands 6'1″ and has a 77-inch reach.
Dricus Du Plessis is 18-2 in his career and has is perfect in the UFC at 4-0. During this four-fight run, Du Plessis was able to display his devastating power punching and abilities to chase the submission. Hi last two wins against Brad Tavares and Darren Till showed him using his gas tank for extended periods and hanging in tough during hard moments. He'll look for more answers as he faces his toughest UFC opponent to date. Du Plessis stands 6'1″ with a 76-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC 285 Odds: Derek Brunson-Dricus Du Plessis Odds
Derek Brunson: +194
Dricus Du Plessis: -235
Over (1.5) rounds: -168
Under (1.5) rounds: +132
How to Watch Derek Brunson vs. Dricus Du Plessis
TV: ESPN, ESPN+
Stream: ESPN App, UFC Fight Pass
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET/ 5:00 p.m. PT
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Why Derek Brunson Will Win
Derek Brunson was most recently on a tear that unlocked “Blonde Brunson” as everyone's new favorite mythical fighter. He has recently shown that his wrestling continues to rival anyone in the division and at 39-years old, Brunson can still put opponents away while making it look easy. He's a good striker on the feet and can throw with power. Brunson does a lot of damage in clinch situations and will use his striking to open up the takedown opportunity. The wrestling is where he is at his best, holding opponents down and landing his signature concussive ground-and-pound.
The biggest issue for Brunson here will be his age against a much younger and more energetic fighter. Brunson has a tendency to start the fight slow and eat a few shots before really feeling his opponent out. The issue here is that Du Plessis is extremely aggressive right out of the gate and will try to finish the fight before running out of gas. For Brunson, the key to victory will be surviving the initial onslaught of Du Plessis, waiting for his gas tank to drain, and then controlling him on the ground. Brunson will have the wrestling advantage here, so he'll want to make use of his biggest strength in trying to win as an underdog.
Why Dricus Du Plessis Will Win
The level of confidence for Du Plessis is through the roof considering he has yet to lose in the UFC. He's known for his wild style and crazy attacks inside of the octagon. He throws his shots with bad intentions and never looks for the fight to be decided by the judges. Du Plessis is most dangerous in the opening round of the fight where he blitz opponents with strikes from awkward angles and throws powerful bombs. He'll go to the head and to the body alike but will almost always eat a few shots in the exchanges himself. He's shown that he is very durable and hard to put away.
The biggest question for Du Plessis has been his gas tank and consistency through the fight. He starts the fight looking like an absolute menace and then usually tends to take the second round slow and conserves his energy with lower output. His striking totals dip as the minutes wear on, but he still throws with a lot of power despite fatigue. Du Plessis will want to keep this fight on the feet where he'll have the advantage. While Brunson is the better wrestler on the ground, Du Plessis has very good takedown defense and is extremely hard to bring down. If he can stuff the takedowns and get cracking on the feet, it'll be a long (or short) night for Derek Brunson.
Final Derek Brunson-Dricus Du Plessis Prediction & Pick
Derek Brunson has a great opportunity to win this fight if he can stick to a solid game plan and execute his takedowns. If he tries to stand with Du Plessis, he'll eventually get caught with a few shots. I think the confidence of Du Plessis, coupled with the age discrepancy and activity in recent fights, will be the difference for him in this one. Dricus Du Plessis is the right side here, however be alert on the live lines; if Derek Brunson can land the first few takedowns with ease, he'll grind out a decision here. However, I think it will be a weird and fun fight, favoring Du Plessis.
Final Derek Brunson-Dricus Du Plessis Prediction & Pick: Dricus Du Plessis (-235)
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