UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis wants finality in his rematch with Sean Strickland in their upcoming title rematch.
Dricus du Plessis’s bad blood with Sean Strickland appeared to be squashed after their ‘Fight of the Year’ candidate earlier this year at UFC 297. But almost a full year later, they’ll run it back in Australia, and tensions are ramping up again between the two elite brawlers.
Despite previous travel concerns, Strickland will make the trip to Australia to meet again with du Plessis, who snagged the UFC middleweight title from him in their first matchup. Between their two scheduled bouts, du Plessis defended the belt by submitting Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 to rein in a new era in the division.
UFC 312, headlined by the du Plessis vs. Strickland rematch, adds to an exciting slate to begin 2025. After their first booking featured personal attacks and a crowd brawl, some may believe the buildup to their run-back will be more measured.
But, du Plessis took a different approach shortly after the UFC 312 fight announcement.
Dricus du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland 2 takes a dark turn
In a recent post to X, du Plessis teased what he plans to do to Strickland when they meet again at UFC 312.
“This time they won’t call it a robbery, they’ll call it attempted murder,” du Plessis declared.
Du Plessis references the narrative that Strickland deserved the nod on the judges’ scorecards at UFC 297. The South African won the fight by split decision, and after taking the loss in stride, Strickland pivoted by criticizing the judges.
Ironically, du Plessis’ promise of ‘attempted murder’ coincides with Strickland’s pre-UFC 297 promise to ‘fight to the death’ with him in their first clash. After defeating Strickland by decision, he’s looking to make a statement to the rest of the division by brutally finishing the former titleholder.
Khamzat Chimaev waiting in the wings ahead of Dricus du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland 2
Strickland edged out the No. 1 contender spot and the rematch with du Plessis by outpointing 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 du Plessis vs. Strickland 2 winner, and he was du Plessis’s preferred next opponent after his latest title defense at UFC 305. After making the full-time move to middleweight, Chimaev earned wins over former UFC titleholders Kamaru Usman and Whittaker.
Before capturing the title at UFC 297, du Plessis logged wins over Darren Till, Derek Brunson, and Whittaker. He’s cemented himself as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world after earning the belt against Strickland.
If du Plessis’ tweet is an indication of what fans can expect from his rematch with Strickland, he’ll enter the Octagon with brutal intentions. We’re set up for a potential instant classic from ‘Down Under’.
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