UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis wants finality in his rematch with Sean Strickland in their upcoming title rematch.
Dricus du Plessis' bad blood with Sean Strickland seemed to have been quelled following their Fight of the Year contender earlier this year at UFC 297. But almost a full year later, they'll do it again in Australia, and tensions are heating up walk up again. between the two elite fighters.
Despite previous travel issues, Strickland will make the trip to Australia to face du Plessis again, who stripped him of the UFC middleweight title in their first bout. In between their two scheduled fights, du Plessis defended the title by submitting Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 to rein in a new era in the division.
UFC 312, headlined by the rematch du Plessis vs. Strickland, adds to an exciting streak to start 2025. After their first booking included personal attacks and a brawl with the crowd, some may think the build-up to their run-back will be more measured.
But du Plessis took a different approach shortly after the UFC 312 fight was announced.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Dricus du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland 2 takes a dark turn
In a recent message to X, du Plessis teased what he plans to do with Strickland when they meet again at UFC 312.
“This time they won't call it robbery, but attempted murder,” du Plessis stated.
Du Plessis is referring to the story that Strickland earned the nod on the judges' scorecards at UFC 297. The South African won the fight via split decision, and after taking the loss, Strickland turned heel by telling the judges criticize.
Ironically, du Plessis' promise of “attempted murder” coincides with Strickland's pre-UFC 297 promise to “fight him to the death” during their first clash. After beating Strickland by decision, he looks to make a statement to the rest of the division by brutally finishing the former title holder.
Khamzat Chimaev is waiting in the wings for Dricus du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland 2
Strickland defeated the No. 1 contender and the rematch with du Plessis by defeating Paulo Costa at UFC 302. His case for a run-back with du Plessis was complicated after Khamzat Chimaev's wild finish of Robert Whittaker at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi.
Chimaev will likely face the winner of du Plessis vs. Strickland 2, and he was Du Plessis's preferred next opponent following his last title defense at UFC 305. After making the full-time move up to middleweight, Chimaev picked up wins over former UFC title holders Kamaru Usman and Whittaker.
Before capturing the title at UFC 297, du Plessis recorded victories over Darren Till, Derek Brunson and Whittaker. He cemented himself as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world after earning the title against Strickland.
If du Plessis' tweet is any indication of what fans can expect from his rematch with Strickland, he will enter the Octagon with brutal intentions. We're ready for a potential instant classic from Down Under.
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