All eyes will be on the main event of UFC 312 as middleweight champion Dricus ‘Stillknocks’ Du Plessis puts his belt on the line against the man he took it from, Sean Strickland, in Sydney, Australia, on February 9.
There is no love lost between the two UFC stars, which leads to an all-out war in the octagon. The odds from online betting sites are in favour of the South African champion, but as we’ve witnessed already – write Strickland off at your peril!
These warriors fought just over a year ago at UFC 297. Sean was the champion at the time following a stunning display against Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 where he scored a unanimous decision victory over ‘The Last Stylebender’.
Meanwhile, Dricus was on a six-fight win streak in the promotion and became the first man to defeat Robert Whittaker by TKO.
Strickland and Du Plessis produced a dogfight when they clashed in the octagon, and in what many believed was a close contest, it was the South African who saw his arm raised in a split-decision win.
Since then, Strickland has done numerous interviews and podcasts claiming that he was robbed, which has only angered Dricus, with ‘Stillknocks’ eyeing a dominant win this time around.
Dricus Du Plessis vs Sean Strickland 2: What to Expect?
Dricus Du Plessis
Dricus Du Plessis (22-2-0) is currently unbeaten since joining the UFC, with wins over some of the biggest names in the middleweight division. The South African has claimed victories over the likes of Brad Tavares, Darren Till, Derek Brunson, Whittaker, Strickland and Adesanya, who he successfully defended his belt at UFC 305.
It’s not just the fact that Dricus has beaten some of the biggest names in the division, but what’s even more impressive is how he is getting those wins. He beat Brunson to a pulp, with the American fighter’s corner throwing in the towel. Not only that, but he was the first to beat Whittaker by TKO and the first man to submit Adesanya.
It’s quite extraordinary to think of how much Dricus has achieved in such a short space of time, and when you consider that he is only 30 years old, he could pose a real problem for anyone with ambitions of becoming the next middleweight champion. DDP appears to be getting better after every fight.
Sean Strickland
Sean Strickland (29-6-0) may not be too concerned about being the underdog heading into this fight. The last time the odds were heavily stacked against him, we saw the best version of ‘Tarzan’ as he produced a real masterclass against middleweight king, Adesanya.
Strickland claimed that he had an ‘off night’ when he fought Dricus over a year ago, and while that may have been the case, he will not get another immediate opportunity to fight for the belt if he loses another split decision. He simply has to show up and take more risks to get the desired outcome.
Many felt that Strickland wasn’t even deserving of another title shot with Khamzat Chimaev surprisingly overlooked, so, Sean will have extra motivation when he steps into the octagon.
Prediction: And Still… (Du Plessis to Win)
It’s no surprise to see the bookies strongly behind Du Plessis. The South African is unstoppable at the moment and despite how Strickland feels, DDP deservedly won the first meeting. Sean only came alive in the dying minutes of the fight, but before that point, he refused to take many risks and was comfortable just sitting back and throwing jabs. The last time the judges scored this contest a split decision, but this time we’re backing a more convincing win for DDP.
