Dricus Du Plessis beat Sean Strickland of the US last year to win the UFC middleweight championship. He faces Strickland again with a degree of unfinished business this weekend in a title defence in Sydney. Photo: AFP
CLOSURE is what Dricus du Plessis will be after in Sydney this coming Saturday when he looks to defend his UFC middleweight title against former champion Sean Strickland at UFC 312.
Having won a split decision against Strickland to become South Africa's very first UFC champion at UFC 297 in Toronto a little over a year ago – a decision that left many, including UFC president Dana White saying Strickland had won – Du Plessis will be looking to put the Strickland conversation to bed Down Under on Saturday.
According to the judges and commentators calling that fight, including former champion Daniel Cormier, Du Plessis was the clear winner given the forward advancements that the 30-year-old had made during the five-round fight.
😳 Brutal 4-minutes trash talk between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis before their first fight.
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) February 3, 2025
DDP saved his main weapon for the ending 😬
🎥 @UFC pic.twitter.com/4AlszzlB0Q
However, having come out of that fight with an almost rearranged face courtesy of Strickland's jabs, many still believe that the US fighter had done enough to win the fight. Nevertheless, Du Plessis' record speaks for itself as only two of his 22 career victories came via decisions, with 20 coming in the form of submissions and knockouts.
His record paints a vivid picture of just how dominant he is against his opponents inside the octagon, making Strickland one of the two fighters he did not entirely dominate.
Strickland is known for his almost impeccable defensive fight style. With a boxing background, Strickland fights behind his shoulder but besides that, he just doesn't possess a rounded game that the likes of Du Plessis possess.
On the other hand, Du Plessis is an exceptional fighter on the ground and he proved it when he handed Israel Adesanya, the future UFC Hall of Famer, the very first submission loss of his career during his first title defence in Perth six months ago.
No judges needed in his first title defense 💪@DricusDuPlessis looks to make another statement at #UFC312! pic.twitter.com/FzBt90oDx9
— UFC (@ufc) February 3, 2025
On his feet, Du Plessis is just as good and after his fight against former champion Robert Whittaker, where he knocked the Australian out at UFC 290, he gained a lot of respect for the power that he possesses as a boxer.
With that said, can Strickland emerge victorious this coming weekend?
It is highly unlikely.
Du Plessis has the cardio to easily last five rounds but five rounds is an unlikely scenario as the champion will be looking to finish the fight inside the first four rounds to get the closure that he seeks. MMA is a very unpredictable sport and Strickland, alongside his well-respected coach Eric Nicksick, could have a trick up their sleeve.
Moreover, Nicksick and Strickland will take confidence in that they have fought at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney before, where Strickland became the champion by defeating Adesanya.
The main card of the event is scheduled to start at 5am on Sunday.
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