Ahead of their UFC middleweight title fight rematch at UFC 312, Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland are once again adding fuel to the fire.
The news of Sean Strickland getting another shot at the middleweight title came as quite a shock as he has just one win since losing his title to Dricus Du Plessis last January.
Despite this, the promotion announced that the two will face each other again at UFC 312 on February 8 in Sydney, Australia, dismissing Khamzat Chimaev's chances even though the majority of the fanbase expected him to be next.
After UFC 311 last Saturday, Du Plessis was sensationally drafted by lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, who admitted he wanted to become a three-time champion.
READ MORE: 'It works'… Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya laugh at the way Dricus du Plessis fights
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Du Plessis hits back after Strickland sends him an offer
Less than a month after their huge grudge match, Strickland has sent 'Stillknocks' a 'gentleman's agreement' offer to stand and strike and not wrestle during the fight.
The former middleweight champion's fighting style has always been heavily criticized for his basic approach to striking, but he has clearly shown that it can be effective.
Likewise, the South African's fighting style is constantly put on edge due to his sloppy tendencies, but like Strickland, he has shown the effectiveness of his style.
Du Plessis has shown that he is slightly more complete than Strickland, especially in his last fight against Israel Adesanya, when he finished the fight via submission and landed four of nine takedown attempts.
'Stillknocks' has thus responded to Strickland's stand-up-only offer.
“There are no similarities between lions and men,” the champion replied.
Khamzat Chimaev waits patiently in line for his title shot
Chimaev is likely feeling disappointed at missing out on the middleweight title after a crushing win over Robert Whittaker. Chimaev waits patiently in line and is busy cutting down Strickland.
Prior to the UFC 312 fight booking, Strickland and Chimaev continually clashed online, which appeared to be the start of a potentially long feud.
'Borz' has continued his banter with Strickland online, despite the fact that the two used to train together.
Good luck 🚴🏾♂️ 🤣🤦🏻♂️🙅🏻♂️ pic.twitter.com/qsduoEcpBu
— Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) December 9, 2024
Although the Chechen wasn't picked this time, he's likely next in line to fight the winner of Du Plessis and Strickland and finally get his chance to capture UFC gold.
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