The Ultimate Fighting Championship heads Down Under this weekend for UFC 312, headlined by the rematch between Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland for the world Middleweight title.
The co-main event will see Weili Zhang defending her Strawweight title against unbeaten Tatiana Suarez, while Justin Tafa and Tallison Teixeira will face off in a Heavyweight bout earlier in the night.
Dricus du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland 2 preview
© Imago
While there was plenty of speculation that the next Middleweight title bout would feature Khamzat Chimaev, few can be disappointed about the prospect of Du Plessis vs. Strickland 2 after the bloodbath we witnessed a year ago.
These two went blow-for-blow in a titanic battle that DDP came out on top in via split-decision with a Fight of the Night performance, which rocketed him to stardom as the first South African champion in UFC history.
Since then, "Stillknocks" (22-2, 8-0 UFC) became the first fighter to successfully defend the 185-pound title since Alex Pereira won it in November 2022, by beating former champ Israel Adesanya, submitting "The Last Stylebender" with a rear-naked choke at UFC 305 in August last year.
Du Plessis is now set to make his second consecutive start in Australia, aiming to keep his undefeated UFC record in the Octagon intact, and extend his winning streak to 11 with a second title defence.
By now, we know what to expect from the champ - he is terrible technically and throws looping strikes that often look unbalanced, but that is almost always outweighed by his natural horsepower and unrelenting aggression, which have proven to be his greatest assets.
© Imago
Meanwhile, Strickland (29-6) spent the first four and a half years of his UFC career as an unassuming welterweight, showcasing solid technique that earned him a bit of a cult following among fans.
After moving up to middleweight in 2020, "Tarzan" went 5-0 to earn a shot at Pereira in July 2022 as the number-four ranked competitor in the division, but he lost the match and that was followed by a split-decision defeat to Jared Cannonier.
Two wins later, Strickland got his title chance against Adesanya as a massive underdog, but he defied the odds, beating the then-UFC middleweight king by unanimous decision, though his reign lasted just four months.
Needless to say, the 33-year-old was not pleased with the judges decision in the last match between these two, but the fact is that despite landing more strikes than his opponent, Du Plessis completed six takedowns, which ultimately swayed the result in his favour.
Strickland returned to the Octagon with an almost inexplicable split-decision victory over Paulo Costa to earn his second shot at the title, and although DDP is considered the favourite and has built momentum since their previous encounter, the American's wealth of experience and strategic fighting style give him a significant advantage.
Tale of the tape
© Imago
Dricus du Plessis
AGE: 31
NICKNAME: "Stillknocks"
HEIGHT: 6ft 0ins
REACH: 76ins
STANCE: Orthodox
TRAINER: Morne Visser
FIGHTS: 24
WINS: 22
DRAWS: 0
DEFEATS: 2
LAST FIGHT: Sub vs. Israel Adesanya (August 2024)
© Imago
Sean Strickland
AGE: 33
NICKNAME: "Tarzan"
HEIGHT: 6ft 1ins
REACH: 76ins
STANCE: Orthodox
TRAINER: Eric Nicksick
FIGHTS: 35
WINS: 29
DRAWS: 0
DEFEATS: 6
LAST FIGHT: Decision (split) vs. Paulo Costa (April 2024)
Career records
Dricus du Plessis
Rank: Champion
Total: 24
Wins: 22
By knockout: 9
By submission: 11
By decision: 2
Losses: 2
By knockout: 1
By submission: 1
By decision: 0
Sean Strickland
Rank: #1
Total: 35
Wins: 29
By knockout: 11
By submission: 4
By decision: 14
Losses: 6
By knockout: 2
By submission: 0
By decision: 4
We say: Dricus du Plessis to win
There is a case to be made for both these warriors, but DDP proved once again that he is the more well-rounded fighter when he submitted Adesanya in his first title defence, while Strickland relied on his one-dimensional style to dispatch Costa in his last bout.
The champ showed he is able to absorb immense punishment in his last two fights, while he is also more than capable on the mat, and we feel that if he avoids trying to outstrike his opponent and mixes up his approach, he will keep his unbeaten UFC record intact in this one.
Devesh Jaganath
