A modern middleweight rivalry will come to a head in Syndey, Australia on Sunday morning.
Dricus du Plessis beat Sean Strickland by split decision to become the 185lb champion at UFC 297 in January 2024.
After submitting Israel Adesanya to defend his belt, ‘DDP’ has got to run it back with Sean Strickland.
Another win here will cement Dricus du Plessis as the true champion and potentially end his rivalry with the wacky American for good. Will that happen? Let’s see what the Bloody Elbow staff say about UFC 312.
Dricus du Plessis backed to beat Sean Strickland by Bloody Elbow’s writers
Jordan Ellis: “I’m backing Dricus du Plessis to defend his belt. I believe being the champion has taken to him to the next level, while Sean Strickland is the same fighter he’s always been. It’ll be another tough fight, but ‘DDP’ will have that extra gear to get the job done when times get tough down the stretch.”
PREDICTION: Dricus du Plessis by KO/TKO
Donagh Corby: “Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis both have the kinds of fan bases who like to rewrite history on how impressive their victories have been. For that reason, you might recall the first fight being a back-and-forth war for the ages that you’re dying to see again. In actual fact, you can expect quite a bit of teeping and jabbing from Strickland and more unorthodox striking from DDP. If it goes five rounds, which I think it will, don’t expect that you’ll have been entertained thoroughly.”
PREDICTION: Sean Strickland by decision
Jamie Theodosi: “I’m leaning towards Dricus Du Plessis. Their first meeting at UFC 297 was razor close but I think Dricus has shown more well-roundedness and ability to switch up his approach. He has also proved that his cardio isn’t as bad as it first seemed which I think will be key in this fight.”
PREDICTION: Dricus du Plessis by decision
Tom Llewellyn: “The UFC 312 headliner might be expected to go to a decision, but after a whole year of hearing Sean Strickland yapping on social media, Dricus Du Plessis is keen to silence the former champion once and for all. The South African has proven that he’s capable of scoring highlight-reel knockouts (vs. Robert Whittaker) and slick submissions on the ground (vs. Adesanya), whereas Strickland has scored just one finish in the past four years… Simply put; one man has finishing ability, the other doesn’t.”
PREDICTION: Dricus du Plessis by KO/TKO
Curtis Calhoun: “Don’t expect Sean Strickland’s attempt at a pre-fight pact with Dricus du Plessis to last long. While Strickland and Du Plessis will trade shots on the feet throughout another five-round war, Du Plessis’ superior ground game will be too much for Strickland to overcome, particularly in the championship rounds. If Du Plessis manages to get Strickland’s back in the closing minutes, he could get a stoppage victory late. But I’m predicting their second fight going to the scorecards, but a bit more decisive this time around.”
PREDICTION: Dricus du Plessis by decision
Mat Riddle: “As much as I think Sean Strickland could jab his way to a decision, I’ve been constantly underestimating Dricus du Plessis in his UFC fights. ‘DDP’ should have a grappling edge, and I believe he’ll use this to his advantage, perhaps picking up a late club & sub finish.”
PREDICTION: Dricus du Plessis
Kyle Dimond: “It’s hard to imagine Sean Strickland changing his style for the rematch and whilst Dricus du Plessis didn’t make it look pretty, he did work out how to win rounds against his next challenger. Through throwing big shots with a high output for three rounds, he should be able to clinch another decision and I don’t see Strickland doing enough damage to finish him.”
PREDICTION: Dricus du Plessis by decision
James Sweetnam: “Dricus Du Plessis isn’t your conventional champion. He isn’t slick like Israel Adesanya or blessed with formidable grappling skills like Islam Makhachev. In fact, at first glance, you could be forgiven for struggling to figure out how on Earth the South African has gotten to the top of the MMA mountain in the first place. But while his talent might not be obvious, it’s undeniably there, with Du Plessis beating an array of UFC icons. Somehow, he makes his unorthodox style work, with seemingly everyone he faces finding themselves in a state of complete and utter bewilderment at what the man in front of them is going to do next. Therefore, while Sean Strickland came close to beating him last time, I believe ‘Stillknocks’ will find a way to win once again and continue to rule over the middleweight division.”
PREDICTION: Dricus du Plessis