UFC 312 saw Dricus Du Plessis break Sean Strickland‘s nose on route to a decision victory in their middleweight title rematch.
The pair’s first meeting at UFC 297 has been remembered perhaps more favorably by history than it actually was on the night. A clash of heads late in the day left the pair bloodied and sporting major scars that indicated more of a war over five rounds than the actual split decision was.
This time around, Du Plessis had guaranteed a KO, while Strickland’s brand of trash talk had viewers tuning in with massive intrigue. And on a night of quick KO’s and stoppages, the pair had a lot to live up to in the main event.
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Dricus Du Plessis vs Sean Strickland result
Despite, and perhaps as a result of his controversial takes, Sean Strickland is a massive fan favorite in Sydney. And he soaked in the atmosphere from over 18,000 fans in his return to Australian shores, where he had first won gold against Israel Adesanya.
Dricus Du Plessis, on the other hand, played the villain role perfectly as he made the walk, and refused to play into Strickland’s defensive game. He aimed a number of big high kicks early, but was unable to land anything majorly significant in the first.
Strickland was clearly wearing a mark on his left arm that was believed to be staph infection, although he denied that it was so. Du Plessis continued aiming at his challenger’s legs in the early part of round two, but the pair did begin to open up as Strickland began to bleed.
The American landed with a bit more regularity in the second and they began to open up a bit more as the fight progressed. Du Plessis is known for having an unorthodox and aggressive style, but clearly had respect for Strickland’s speed as he stayed on the outside.
In the first minute of the fourth, the champion landed a big combination that broke Strickland’s nose, which allowed him to open up more on the offense. It led to a much more open attack from Du Plessis, while the challenger seemed uninterested in upping his pace and pushing for a finish.
Ultimately, the belt stayed in South Africa as Du Plessis won on the cards across the board, putting an end to their pair’s lengthy feud.
Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis’ first fight was bloody showdown
The build-up to last year’s middleweight title clash between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis made it one of the most exciting in recent memory. The American had just dethroned Israel Adesanya in a stunning upset, and stole his meeting with the South African.
After winding up Adesanya during his efforts at a title fight, Du Plessis managed to touch a nerve with Strickland as he mocked his family life in an ugly pre-fight press conference. Ultimately, the pair came to blows at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto at UFC 297, going to war in a sloppy affair.
‘Stillknocks’ was far more reserved in the opening round than usual but after losing the first five minutes on all three scorecards, he upped the pace in the second.
Du Plessis, in the eyes of the two judges that scored the fight in his favor, went on to win the next three rounds largely down to his output with the South African consistently throwing big, eye-catching strikes without ever getting discouraged when he failed to land on his opponent.
Eventually, a clash of heads caused significant damage to both men, leaving them battered as they headed to the final bell. Du Plessis took two of the scorecards 48-47, while one judge had it the opposite way for Strickland meaning there was scope for controversy, and more importantly a rematch.
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