Tag: Dricus du Plessis

UFC 312’s Dricus Du Plessis: Sean Strickland has no problem being ‘boring’

UFC champ Dricus Du Plessis isn’t fond of Sean Strickland’s fight style ahead of their UFC 312 rematch.

UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] isn’t fond of [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag]’s fight style.

Du Plessis (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) will run things back with Strickland (29-6 MMA, 16-6 UFC) in a title-fight rematch which headlines UFC 312 on Feb. 8 at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.

Although their first meeting at UFC 297 earned Fight of the Night, Du Plessis says that was no thanks to Strickland. The South African didn’t rate Strickland’s rebound win over Paulo Costa at UFC 302 too highly, either.

“Nothing’s changed, he looked boring like every other fight, walking forward jabbing and teeping – it wasn’t an exciting fight,” Du Plessis told Fox Sports Australia. “It wasn’t a bad performance, it was the most normal performance from him ever.

“In our fight, I remember there was a stage in the fight where I was walking forward, but he just kept moving away and I thought to myself, ‘I’m going to stand here, maybe he gets the confidence to walk forward and we can punch it out.’ He just dropped his hands a little, and said, ‘Cool.’ He has no problem with the crowd booing his fighting style. Unfortunately for me, I don’t have that in me.”

Du Plessis initially wanted Khamzat Chimaev next, but prior to Chimaev running through Robert Whittaker at UFC 308, he was willing to run things back with Strickland after many called their first fight a robbery.

“I was 100 percent keen on the Strickland rematch the whole time,” Du Plessis said. “Everybody now says they wanted the Khamzat fight, but the same fans were the ones that called for the Strickland rematch as well up until Khamzat had the performance against Rob that he did.

“I honestly felt that the Strickland rematch was warranted, great let’s do it, and then after that Khamzat fight, that was the fight I wanted, and I think 90 percent of fans wanted. The UFC promised Strickland the fight so, this time they delivered on their promise.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 312.

Dricus Du Plessis reveals how close Khamzat Chimaev came to getting UFC 312 title shot

Dricus Du Plessis discusses how Sean Strickland came to receive a title shot over Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 312.

UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] claims [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] was in consideration for his next title defense.

Instead, Du Plessis (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) will run things back with [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] (29-6 MMA, 16-6 UFC) in the UFC 312 headliner Feb. 8 at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.

Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) was touted as the potential No. 1 contender when he quickly submitted former champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 308. Du Plessis was excited about the opportunity to hand Chimaev his first loss but acknowledges that fans were previously eager to see him fight Strickland again after their tightly contested affair at UFC 297.

“The Khamzat fight would have been a lot bigger in my opinion and more exciting,” Du Plessis told Fox Sports Australia. “I haven’t done it before. I haven’t seen it before. He’s unbeaten, but Strickland is an absolute beast in the octagon. This fight’s going to be a banger again, and I can’t wait.”

So, was Du Plessis ever offered Chimaev by the UFC?

“It was on the table, for sure,” Du Plessis said. “We talked about it, but it wasn’t from my side or from his side where the fight didn’t happen. I think there was some issues with the UFC and Khamzat, I’m not sure. And timing.

“I think timing also played a big role. But there were conversations, and I said that’s the fight that I want, so let’s do it, and they couldn’t make it happen. So, Strickland is the fight they did.”

If Du Plessis gets past Strickland again, he’ll have his sights set on Chimaev.

“Rumor has it that Khamzat will be in attendance for the fight against Strickland now on the 8th of February,” Du Plessis said. “I don’t know how true that is, but if that’s the case, I guess that’s going to be the next fight. I’m going to beat Sean Strickland, and then Khamzat will be next.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 312.

Chael Sonnen expects Sean Strickland ‘to fight better’ in Dricus Du Plessis rematch at UFC 312

Chael Sonnen sees Sean Strickland coming out with an extra fire in the rematch against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 312.

[autotag]Chael Sonnen[/autotag] sees [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] coming out with an extra fire at UFC 312.

Strickland (29-6 MMA, 16-6 UFC) runs things back with middleweight champion [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) in the Feb. 8 headliner at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+).

Strickland lost his middleweight title to Du Plessis by split decision in a competitive back-and-forth contest at UFC 297. Strickland is adamant that he won the fight, but Sonnen disagrees.

“If there has ever been a guy that turns out to be one heck of a lot better than I knew he was, it’s Dricus Du Plessis,” Sonnen said on “Good Guy/Bad Guy” with Daniel Cormier. “The other side of that coin, Sean Strickland has talked himself up very much and has a high level of confidence because he believes he beat him the first time. He believes he dominated him. That’s not what I saw.

“As a matter of fact, I’m not sure Sean didn’t lose all five rounds on my scorecard. Very close, real tight, but at the end of it, if you got to go a 10-9, I’m not sure I didn’t give them all to Dricus. The only reason I’m saying this is I don’t want Sean to necessarily fall for what he’s believing. I want him to study this guy, I want him to have a different game plan for this guy, I want him to really take Dricus serious.”

With Strickland now the hunter not the hunted, Sonnen thinks that will bring out extra added motivation from him.

“I do believe, Sean Strickland, when he was the champion of the world, did not care, or at least that’s what he was saying,” Sonnen continued. “The moment he lost that belt, boy that care meter went through the roof. And I do believe Sean is going to fight better trying to re-gain something than to defend something. That’s my own belief, but that’s the fight to make. Winner draws in (Khamzat) Chimaev, I can drink to that.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 312.

Robert Whittaker: Khamzat Chimaev beats UFC 312 headliners Dricus Du Plessis, Sean Strickland

Robert Whittaker doesn’t see how Dricus Du Plessis or Sean Strickland could stop Khamzat Chimaev’s grappling.

[autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] doesn’t see how [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] or [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] can stop [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag]’s grappling.

Middleweight champion Du Plessis (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) will rematch Strickland (29-6 MMA, 16-6 UFC) in the UFC 312 main event Feb. 8 at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.

Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC), who ran through Whittaker for a first-round submission at UFC 308 in October, is expected to face the winner.

Whittaker had his teeth crushed by Chimaev’s face crank when they clashed, and the former champ doesn’t see Du Plessis or Strickland being able to stop Chimaev’s first explosive takedown.

“I think he just takes them down and does the same thing, like not necessarily to me but how he beat (Kamaru) Usman or how he beat Gilbert Burns,” Whittaker said on his “MMArcade Podcast.” “I can see those sort of fights.

“I think he’d have more success with Strickland than Du Plessis just because Du Plessis is like a big dude. Stopping that first takedown is so crazy. The way he shoots that first shot is crazy. How do you stop that dude? Jump over him?”

Du Plessis edged Strickland by split decision in their first meeting at UFC 297. Despite it being a close contest, Whittaker doesn’t think Strickland can make the adjustments to avenge his loss.

“In my opinion, I don’t see the fight going any different,” Whittaker said. “Du Plessis is such a dog in there. He’s going to come with the same aggressiveness and game plan. What could Sean do differently to change the outcome than last time?”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 312.

Dricus Du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland 2: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC 312 main event

Dricus Du Plessis is a slight favorite to beat Sean Strickland in their UFC 312 title rematch.

[autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] will look to leave no doubt when he runs things back with [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] in the UFC 312 main event.

Dricus Du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland preview

Du Plessis (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) dethroned Strickland (29-6 MMA, 16-6 UFC) by split decision to claim the middleweight title at UFC 297 last January – a result Strickland has protested ever since.

Since then, Du Plessis retained his title with a fourth-round submission of former champion Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 in August.

Strickland, meanwhile, rebounded from his title loss with a unanimous decision win over Paulo Costa at UFC 302 in June. He opted to wait for his opportunity at a rematch and will get his wish.

Dricus Du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland odds

Odds suggest we could be looking at another tightly contested matchup. According to DraftKings, Du Plessis is a slight -130 favorite over Strickland, who’s listed as a +110 underdog.

How to watch Dricus Du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland at UFC 312

  • When: Saturday, February 8, 2025 (February 9 locally)
  • Where: Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia
  • Broadcast/streaming: ESPN+ pay-per-view

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 312.

Dricus Du Plessis preferred Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 312 over Sean Strickland rematch

If it was up to Dricus Du Plessis, he’d be defending his middleweight title against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 312.

If it was up to [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag], he’d be defending his UFC middleweight title against [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag].

Instead, Du Plessis (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) will run things back with [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] (29-6 MMA, 16-6 UFC) in the UFC 312 headliner Feb. 8 at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+).

Du Plessis narrowly defeated Strickland by split decision to capture the middleweight title at UFC 297 last January. In the year since, Strickland has maintained he was robbed by the judges and should’ve kept the belt.

Strickland was declared No. 1 contender after rebounding with a win over Paulo Costa at UFC 302 in June, and Du Plessis obliged – even though he disagrees with the matchmaking.

“Just for clarification I preferred the Khamzat fight but the rematch is a fight most wanted before Khamzat vs. Whittaker,” Du Plessis wrote on X. I’m not unhappy with the UFC’s decision. Like I said, I’ll fight the man fans think is the next best guy. He was promised the fight so Strickland it is.”

Du Plessis saw Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) as a more intriguing challenge after the unbeaten contender ran through former champion Robert Whittaker by first-round submission in October.

When a fan on X suggested Chimaev would beat both UFC 312 headliners, Du Plessis was quick to snap back:

“He can’t even beat his own immune system.”

After dethroning Strickland to start the year, Du Plessis notched his first title defense with a fourth-round submission of former champion Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 in August.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 312.

UFC 312 gets two title fights in Sydney – including a rematch

The UFC’s return to Australia in February will be top-heavy with a pair of title fights.

The UFC’s return to Australia in February will be top-heavy with a pair of title fights.

Middleweight champion [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) wanted a title defense against Khamzat Chimaev, but instead it will be a rematch against former champ [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] (29-6 MMA, 16-6 UFC), whom he beat to win the title earlier this year.

In addition, women’s strawweight titleholder [autotag]Weili Zhang[/autotag] (25-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) will take on challenger [autotag]Tatiana Suarez[/autotag] (10-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) – who went from a fight against Virna Jandiroba at UFC 310 that was scrapped to a title shot.

UFC officials announced the bouts during Saturday’s UFC 310 pay-per-view broadcast. UFC 312 takes place Feb. 9 at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.

Du Plessis, from South Africa, took a split decision from Strickland in a Fight of the Night winner at UFC 297 in January in Toronto. In Australia in August, he submitted former champ Israel Adesanya in the fourh round of a big grudge match.

Many thought he’d get Chimaev for his next defense, but Strickland retained the title shot he was promised after a split call win over Paulo Costa at UFC 302 in June.

Zhang, a two-time champion, won the belt back a little more than two years ago against Carla Esparza. She defended it with a decision win over Amanda Lemos in August 2023, then one over fellow Chinese fighter Yan Xiaonan in April.

Suarez, the Season 23 winner of “The Ultimate Fighter,” has been perfect in her career so far. She has back-to-back submission wins over Montana De La Rosa (at flyweight) and former champ Jessica Andrade, both of which were good for $50,000 bonuses. Those wins came in 2023 after a layoff of nearly four years. She was set to fight Jandiroba at UFC 310 this week, but withdrew.

The latest UFC 312 lineup now includes:

  • Champ Dricus Du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland – for middleweight title
  • Champ Zhang Weili vs. Tatiana Suarez – for women’s strawweight title
  • Jimmy Crute vs. Marcin Prachnio
  • Anshul Jubli vs. Quillan Salkilld
  • Stewart Nicoll vs. Rei Tsuruya

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 312.

Dricus Du Plessis confident in his power in potential Alex Pereira fight: ‘I will catch you eventually’

Dricus Du Plessis wouldn’t shy away from standing with Alex Pereira if they fought.

[autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] wouldn’t shy away from standing with [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] if they fought.

Middleweight champion Du Plessis (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) hopes to get a crack at light heavyweight champion Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) down the line, and he likes his chances against him. Du Plessis insists strength would not be an issue, but acknowledges range likely would.

Du Plessis overcame that range in his most recent outing against Israel Adesanya, where he was able to hurt him on the feet then submit him to retain his title at UFC 305.

“If I’m talking about just the stand up exchanges, I’m not fighting a kickboxing fight,” Du Plessis told Submission Radio. “I’m fighting an MMA fight, and a kickboxing fight, you need to be able to land combos. You need to land massive punches the whole time. Get a guy rocked, you get an eight-count – you have all those variables. Where in MMA, I don’t care who you are: If I catch you clean with those small gloves, you’re going to go down, and I am going to catch you eventually.

“Now, I said it with Izzy. He said I’m too slow. I wouldn’t be able to catch him. Well, yeah. Like, I made a post yesterday saying maybe it’s not pretty, but damn, it’s effective because I will catch you eventually, and then it’s a whole different story because I’m not engaging in a kickboxing fight. I’m punching, and I’m kicking, but it’s not a kickboxing fight. It’s an MMA fight, and when I put those together, it’s a different fight.”

Du Plessis paid Pereira plenty of respect, and wouldn’t even fault him if he decided to retire before he gets a chance to fight him. But after watching Pereira’s most recent title defense against Khalil Rountree – a violent Round 4 TKO at UFC 307, the South African fighter thinks Pereira is hittable.

“I honestly believe that with a guy like Alex Pereira, he has power,” Du Plessis said. “I have a lot of power, too. Yes, he has crisp striking. His striking is incredible. That’s why he has the kickboxing resume he has. But we saw with the Khalil Rountree fight – we saw a lot of things. Khalil had  success in those first two rounds. He really did.”

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Overreaction Time: UFC drops the ball, Colby Covington’s time up, DDP makes a big mistake, more!

Check out the latest episode of “Overreaction Time” as host Simon Samano and Mike Bohn cover big UFC event developments and more.

The time for overreacting is here!

Check out the latest episode of “Overreaction Time” at noon ET/9 a.m. PT as host Simon Samano and MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn debate these “overreactions” on the following topics in mixed martial arts:

  • UFC dropped the ball by not booking [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] at UFC 310.
  • [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] should be cut from the UFC.
  • [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] has another UFC flyweight title run in him – and this one will last a while.
  • [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] wanting [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] instead of [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] is a big mistake.
  • Just a reminder: [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] has no chance of beating [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag].

Watch the full episode in the video above.

UFC champion Dricus Du Plessis: Beating Khamzat Chimaev ‘warrants a double title fight’

If Dricus Du Plessis can add Khamzat Chimaev’s name to his resume, he’s expecting big things.

If [autotag]Dricus Du Plessis[/autotag] can add [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag]’s name to his resume, he’s expecting big things.

Middleweight champion Du Plessis (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) was angling to run things back with Sean Strickland for his next title defense, but after Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) ran through Robert Whittaker for a first-round submission this past Saturday at UFC 308, he’s now interested in undefeated “Borz.”

With his past three wins coming over Whittaker, Strickland and Israel Adesanya, Du Plessis thinks handing Chimaev his first career loss should set him up for a shot at the light heavyweight title – preferably in his home country of South Africa.

“If I beat Khamzat Chimaev – I beat Robert Whittaker, then I beat Sean Strickland, then I beat Israel Adesanya, then I beat Khamzat Chimaev, that warrants a double title fight,” Du Plessis told ESPN. “And I think that might just be it. I have a vision, and I can’t picture something more perfect than that.

“But to be completely honest, I do not care who it is. South Africa would go crazy no matter who I fight. … At the end of the day, there’s a goal that needs to be reached, and that is fighting in my home country and getting that second belt. To do those on the same night, that would be pretty sweet.”

Du Plessis clarifies he’ll fight whoever the UFC offers, but after Chimaev’s impressive finish of Whittaker, the champion says that’s who the fans are clamouring for him to fight.

“The conversations were more about me fighting Strickland,” Du Plessis said. “But there was a very big reason no contracts have been signed, and I’m saying this as an opinion: I agreed – I said I’ll fight Strickland, perfect, and that’s the fight the fans want.

“But if you go on what the fans want right now, it’s definitely not the Strickland fight. If you ask what I want, I want to fight the best guy. I want to fight the guy the fans want me to fight, and that 100 percent is Khamzat. If they give me the Strickland fight, great, I’ll fight Strickland in February, March or whenever, and then fight Khamzat.”

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