Dricus Du Plessis will look to put his foot down on the neck of the middleweight division as he faces Sean Strickland at UFC 312.
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
If you went back three years ago, the very idea of any single middleweight contender turning away both Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya within a span of thirteen months was nearly unfathomable. So dominant and dynamic were the pair that it at times felt their only competition appeared to be in each other. So for Dricus Du Plessis to not only accomplish the feat but to also add another champion to his resume in-between is nothing short of spectacular. To be blunt, it is the kind of run that poises one to be a modern legend.
“Stillknocks” is currently leading the pack of next generation fighters quickly taking over the middleweight division. With names like Caio Borralho, Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez, and Khamzat Chimaev all under 33 and riding strong win streaks, there is no shortage of challengers or contenders. Should Du Plessis continue his win streak, then it’s not out of the question that his place amongst the greatest middleweights (and perhaps greatest fighters overall) will begin to be discussed.
His crowning moment 👑@SStricklandMMA aims to regain his title at #UFC312 in the same city he became champ! pic.twitter.com/ZtaLI3ERTf
— UFC (@ufc) February 8, 2025
Standing in his way is a motivated former champion eager to exact revenge after narrowly missing the decision the first time around. Sean Strickland’s bravado dominates the headlines, to the point that it often overshadows the fact that he may be the most technically effective fighter at middleweight as evidenced by his victories over the likes of Adesanya, Nassourdine Imavov, and Paulo Costa. Going into the rematch, Strickland possesses the rare advantage of having shared the cage with Du Plessis for five rounds and carried that into his latest fight camp with esteemed coach Erick Nicksick and the team at Xtreme Couture.
Notably, Strickland enters the bout being the hunter more than the target going into his second meeting with Du Plessis. The buildup to the first fight saw the newly crowned Strickland at times flustered in the pre-fight banter and show a very different side as he undertook the media obligations of being the champion. In Australia, he has become the crowd favorite and plays into the role of the underdog in pursuit of an epic upset to regain his place at the top of the mountain. Short of regaining the title at home in Vegas, it is about as perfect a setting in favor of Strickland as he could hope for.
A rematch for the MW title…WE. CAN’T. WAIT 👊@DricusDuPlessis vs @SStricklandMMA
[ #UFC312 | Saturday 10pmET | Live on ESPN+ PPV ] pic.twitter.com/GwikFI0NST
— UFC (@ufc) February 7, 2025
The winner of this bout is expected to be challenged by the surging Khamzat Chimaev in what would be one of the biggest bouts possible on the calendar year. Should Chimaev not be available, then it’s expected that Nassourdine Imavov will be next behind his second round stoppage of longtime kingpin Israel Adesanya last week.
