Dricus Du Plessis vs Sean Strickland 2 Preview
Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland renew their heated rivalry at UFC 312 in a rematch for the middleweight title at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. The main card kicks off at 3:00 am and this bout hangs in the balance.
There is no love lost between these fighters who brawled in the crowd of a pay-per-view before their meeting at UFC 297. DDP would take the title off of Strickland there, but must now defend it against the former champion. Can Strickland get revenge in Sydney, or will Du Plessis prove he is a cut above the American?
Dricus Du Plessis vs Sean Strickland 2 Predictions
Fight prediction: Dricus Du Plessis via decision
Sean Strickland shocked the world when he defeated Israel Adesanya for the UFC middleweight title in 2023. ‘Tarzan’ entered that fight as a big 5/1 underdog but claimed an incredible, dominant decision victory over one of the greatest fighters in middleweight history. The American entered his first defence against longtime rival Dricus Du Plessis, losing an extremely narrow decision. His levels have reached the upper echelon of the fight game in the last 18 months and he is out for revenge here.
However, Du Plessis has taken the division by storm. He has wins over three of the top four ranked middleweights, including Robbie Whittaker, Strickland, and Adesanya. His unorthodox style has bamboozled opponents on his way to the title. Strickland was one of his toughest, but Stillknocks took the belt off the American in January 2024. Our MMA prediction is for Dricus Du Plessis to retain his title at UFC 312.
The South African’s ability to push the pace will be key in this fight. Stillknocks is a powerful striker with no qualms fighting in a phone booth. He will constantly be in Strickland’s face, testing his tough chin. His entries are incredibly unorthodox and almost look reckless to the naked eye. However, the fact remains that it gets results. Du Plessis will push Strickland back in this fight and cause him problems with relentless pressure.
DDP is one of the most well-balanced fighters in the UFC, mixing powerful striking with strong grappling. He can end fights in several ways and is an underrated submission grappler. We expect him to capitalise on his pressure with grappling, somewhere he found success in his first clash with Strickland. Strickland’s high guard makes double legs a lot easier and Du Plessis landed six takedowns from 11 attempts at UFC 297. Strickland is an adept grappler himself, but Du Plessis has the edge. Du Plessis didn’t take full advantage of his control time in their last fight, but he will utilise clinches and takedowns to deal damage from dominant positions this time.
Strickland was not offensively active enough in the first fight, defending high and throwing defensive strikes. His pocket defence is excellent, but that will not win you fights alone, and he does not counteract with enough combos or power punches. Stillknocks fought through Strickland’s jab with power, which was enough to swing tight rounds in his favour. The challenger has to earn Du Plessis’ respect by punishing him with counterstrikes and easing the pressure, but we did not see enough of that at UFC 297.
Despite all the critique he faces, we have not seen someone punish the so-called ‘sloppiness’ of Du Plessis’ striking technique. He has faced fighters with a lot more power than Strickland and walked them down just as well. Strickland’s defence and calmness under pressure is second to none, and his chin is tough. His counter-punching was masterful against Adesanya, and he sailed through that fight after tagging him in round one. However, he did not pair his defence with fluid combos and power against Du Plessis. Without that, Dricus will overwhelm him with pressure and use his grappling to quell any danger.
Dricus Du Plessis vs Sean Strickland 2 Fight Outcome
Dricus Du Plessis will not let the occasion change his approach. He will push the pace and pile the pressure onto Sean Strickland. That does not necessarily work against the challenger, a counterpuncher with excellent defence. However, his striking is not strong enough to force Du Plessis back, allowing no respite. The South African fighter will not be deterred and will remain in Strickland’s face for much of the fight.
From there, Du Plessis can land heavy punches and kicks while mixing in grappling. The champ took down Strickland handily in their last fight and will go back to the well again here. He must do more with his control, especially as we may see a more aggressive Strickland. We saw him bring that side out against Adesanya, but Du Plessis is much harder to read, and his unorthodox entries are tougher to counter. If DDP can avoid taking damage early in the fight he can maintain his rhythm and walk the challenger down on his way to victory.
Dricus Du Plessis vs Sean Strickland 2 Betting Tips
According to our online bookmaker, Dricus Du Plessis is favoured in retaining his title. The South African already holds a win over Strickland and a title defence. He is undefeated in the UFC and continues to go from strength to strength. He is worth 4/9 to win this fight, with a €10 stake returning €4.40.
Sean Strickland is no stranger to being an underdog in title fights and pulled off a gigantic shock when he won the belt against Adesanya. The last bout between these men was tight, with one judge awarding the fight to Strickland. Tarzan is worth 13/8 for anyone betting on the UFC.
Method of Victory
Sean Strickland has a tough chin and has only been knocked out twice in 35 professional fights. One of them came against Alex Pereira, who is arguably the most powerful striker in middleweight history. We do not see this fight ending in a knockout and expect another decision. Anyone betting on the UFC should back Dricus Du Plessis AT 7/4 to win via decision.
While we are not expecting a KO, Du Plessis carries a lot of power behind his strikes. Strickland may have to fight with more risk after not doing enough to damage the South African in their first bout. That leaves his defence more open and Du Plessis could find more opportunities to land strikes to the head. If you think the champ can hand Strickland the third KO loss of his career, then a bet on Du Plessis to win via KO/TKO is worth 7/2.
Takedowns
Dricus Du Plessis found a lot of success with his takedowns in his first fight with Strickland and we think he will look for even more control time this time around. That is already reflected in the MMA betting markets. His six takedowns in that bout are more than any other fighter has managed against Strickland in his career. We like a bet on Du Plessis to land 6+ takedowns.
Every takedown Dricus Du Plessis secured on Sean Strickland pic.twitter.com/r0WcVTBx2A
— 6 DAYS UNTIL DRICUS BECOMES 3X CHAMP👑🇿🇦🎯 (@JustinHerronUFC) May 30, 2024
Dricus Du Plessis vs Sean Strickland 2 Head-To-Head and Key Stats
Sean Strickland had one of the most unlikely runs to the middleweight title. Tarzan made his UFC debut in 2014 but looked destined to be a gatekeeper of the division. He picked up wins against the top 15 fighters but struggled against those around the title picture. His devastating KO defeat to Alex Pereira in 2022 exacerbated the issue.
This is why it surprised fans when he was announced as the challenger for Israel Adesanya’s title after picking up two wins against fighters outside the top ten. Most expected Izzy to make light work of Tarzan. But Strickland had other ideas.
Strickland dominated Adesanya in one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. All three judges scored the fight 49-46, giving four rounds to Strickland. His performance seemingly ushered in a new era. However, he lost his belt in his first defence to Dricus Du Plessis. Strickland bounced back to defeat highly rated Paulo Costa, proving his worth in the title picture once again.
STRICKLAND SHOCKS THE WORLD 😱@SStricklandMMA defeats Adesanya by unanimous decision to become the NEW middleweight champ!
[ #UFC293 | B2YB @Manscaped ] pic.twitter.com/QyhUWQFj3k
— UFC (@ufc) September 10, 2023
Strickland is of average build at middleweight, standing at 6’1” with a 76” reach. He enters this flight with a 29-6 record, winning 11 by KO/TKO, 14, by decision and four by submission. He is an excellent counterpuncher with strong defence and a tough chin. While he does not boast the power of some of his counterparts, Strickland’s stamina and conditioning allow him to break opponents down over the fight and win grappling exchanges.
Dricus Du Plessis made his UFC debut in 2020 after impressing in South African promotion EFC. He began with a bang, winning his first two fights via KO and a Performance of the Night bonus. DDP continued to rise the ranks with wins over big names like Darren Till and Derek Brunson before earning his first title eliminator fight against former champion Robert Whittaker in 2023. He TKO’d Bobby Knuckles in round two to confirm a fight with Strickland in January 2024.
BOOK THE TITLE SHOT @DricusduPlessis finishes Rob Whittaker in the second at #UFC290! pic.twitter.com/8rArC8mdRX
— UFC (@ufc) July 9, 2023
Du Plessis won his title in an excellent chess match fight with Strickland at UFC 297. He has since defended his title against former champ Adesanya, winning via submission to bring him to four finishes in five fights. Both of these men have fought and beaten Adesanya, one of the greatest fighters of all time.
There is virtually nothing separating these men with DDP sharing an identical reach and just an inch shorter than his opponent. He enters this fight with a record of 22-2, winning nine by KO/TKO, 11 by submission, and two via decision. His two losses came via submission and KO, though both came early in his career and he is undefeated in the UFC.
