Dricus du Plessis Coach Criticizes Khamzat’s Strategy, Poor Officiating for UFC Loss
In a recent statement, Morne Visser, the coach of Dricus du Plessis, expressed regret about the strategy and officiating in their recent UFC bout. His comments highlight critical aspects of preparation and tactics that impacted the fight’s outcome.
Coach Critiques Opponent’s Strategy
Visser articulated that his team made several “small mistakes” that accumulated over the fight’s rounds. He emphasized that these errors were “easy fixes.” The team was unprepared to confront an opponent who, in Visser’s view, was unwilling to engage in a traditional fight.
Preparation Issues
- Dricus should have altered his fighting approach if they anticipated the opponent’s strategy.
- Coach Visser believes they were caught off-guard and lacked the right game plan.
Visser noted, “If we knew he was gonna try to just do that, I would have changed Dricus’s base.” He argued that more emphasis should have been placed on wrestling tactics rather than striking.
Officiating Concerns
Visser also mentioned frustrations regarding the officiating, specifically calling out referee Marc Goddard. He felt that the fight should have been stood up more frequently, arguing the opponent’s strategy relied primarily on holding position rather than fighting actively.
Wrestling as a Strategy
- Visser contends that wrestling is crucial in MMA and should have been leveraged more effectively.
- He stressed that Dricus is well-equipped to handle striking and clinch scenarios.
- The opponent’s strategy was to control Dricus on the ground for the duration of the fight.
Visser concluded by expressing confidence in Dricus’s abilities, asserting that the only path to victory for their opponent was to maintain a ground game. He vowed to ensure that such mistakes are not repeated in future bouts.
