The primary assembly between Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland ended up being one of many closest five-round matchups within the UFC in all of 2024.
The back-and-forth contest that headlined UFC 297 had 323 mixed strikes, every competitor earned a Combat of the Night time bonus for his or her efforts, and Du Plessis turned the brand new 185-pound champion by successful the belt Strickland had earned simply 4 months prior because of a considerably disputed final result.
Du Plessis and Strickland had been concerned in a bodily altercation within the stands whereas attending UFC 296 the month prior, plus there was loads of verbal vitriol unleashed in each instructions within the weeks main as much as their title conflict.
Suffice it to say, earlier than the combat there was dangerous blood. After the 25-minute bout had concluded each middleweights had literal blood working down their faces.
One yr later we discover ourselves counting down the times till their anticipated rematch that headlines Saturday’s UFC 312 card in Sydney, Australia.
Will half two be as tightly contested as half one? Will the judges even be required this time round? What can we be taught from the primary combat that may be utilized to the sequel?
Let’s take a fast journey down reminiscence lane.
ROUND 1: The gang was behind Strickland early like that they had been that total frigid week in Toronto. Followers at Scotiabank Area chanted “Let’s go Strickland!” because the defending champion poked and prodded his opponent with frequent kicks and jabs. Strickland was efficient along with his uncommon forward-moving, defence-first fashion and checked any outdoors leg kicks Du Plessis was throwing.
Du Plessis was throwing the tougher strikes, coming shut on a number of excessive left kicks, and he registered two takedowns late within the spherical but Strickland restricted DDP’s management time to simply 28 seconds, higher than doubling him in whole strikes (39-19 whole strikes, 34-18 important strikes) whereas touchdown at the next proportion. A strong opening 5 minutes for Strickland who prevented Du Plessis from touchdown damaging photographs whereas reddening the beak of DDP with many stiff jabs.
Consensus/scoring: A transparent Strickland spherical that set the stage for the precise sort of aggressive combat that transpired. All three judges rating the spherical 10-9 for Strickland.
ROUND 2: Du Plessis was not dissuaded by the opening 5 minutes and pursued Strickland aggressively within the second, touchdown a spinning backfist within the opening minute and having elevated success with leg and physique assaults. Du Plessis would shift backwards and forwards from orthodox to southpaw to seek out openings and angles from which to assault Strickland, who endured with largely head strikes. Du Plessis was profitable on his lone takedown try of the spherical. This was the lone spherical within the combat during which Du Plessis landed extra important strikes than Stickland (26-22).
Consensus/scoring: One other aggressive spherical however one that every one three judges scored 10-9 for Du Plessis.
ROUND 3: If Strickland will be the fighter transferring ahead and dictating the tempo then he can finally put on down practically any middleweight, so Du Plessis made positive he was placing Strickland on his again foot as usually as potential and the American’s pacing slowed down barely within the third body. Strickland fought behind his jab for a lot of the 5 minutes. This was the one spherical during which Du Plessis didn’t shoot a takedown.
Strickland landed 31 of 87 important strike makes an attempt within the spherical with all however two touchdown to the top, in comparison with 29 of 84 for Du Plessis who related on the tougher photographs total whereas spreading out his assault throughout head, physique and legs. The primary phrases from Strickland’s head coach Eric Nicksick within the nook after Spherical 3 had been: “Hey, I don’t like that spherical, you recognize what I imply?” Nicksick needed Strickland to select up his tempo and get again to incorporating the teep kick he had success with earlier within the tilt.
Consensus/scoring: This was the closest and in the end probably the most pivotal spherical of the competition. Sal D’Amato was the one choose to see the spherical 10-9 for Strickland; judges Derek Cleary and Eric Colon gave the center spherical 10-9 to Du Plessis.
ROUND 4: Du Plessis had by no means beforehand entered a fourth spherical of competitors throughout his MMA profession. On the time there have been some cardio query marks surrounding the South African based mostly on the actual fact he would usually breathe closely and thru his mouth throughout his fights, nevertheless DDP’s tempo was simply as constant and up-tempo as Strickland’s all through.
An overhand proper from Du Plessis opened a small lower close to Strickland’s left eye. Halfway by the spherical Strickland clinched up with Du Plessis within the centre of the cage however Du Plessis landed a nifty journey takedown. Du Plessis started discovering a house for his proper hand as blood started trickling into Strickland’s eye and impeding Strickland’s imaginative and prescient. The second half of the spherical noticed the challenger get two further takedowns and accumulate 1:18 of whole management time.
Consensus/scoring: All three judges scored the spherical 10-9 Du Plessis. With Du Plessis up three rounds to at least one on two of the scorecards, Strickland would wish a end or to safe a 10-8 spherical so as to retain the title.
ROUND 5: The ultimate spherical ended up because the busiest for each fighters with Strickland outlanding Du Plessis 53-35, shrugging off each of DDP’s takedown makes an attempt, and ending the combat because the one urgent ahead with momentum.
Consensus/scoring: All three judges rating the spherical 10-9 Strickland nevertheless it was too little too late and a 47-48, 48-47, 48-47 cut up resolution was rendered.
UFC president Dana White stated instantly following UFC 297 he thought the combat was tied two rounds apiece heading into the ultimate spherical and agreed that Strickland did extra within the remaining 5 minutes. White additionally complimented Strickland’s use of the jab. Du Plessis disagreed with the boss’s scorecard however couldn’t argue with that time as his face was marked up and swollen on the post-fight press convention.
“He has an excellent, tremendous sturdy jab,” Du Plessis stated. “Each time he hits you along with his jab, it seems like somebody is hitting you with a rock.”
Regardless of how shut the combat was the UFC declined to arrange a right away rematch and every fighter has solely fought as soon as because the UFC 297 foremost occasion.
Strickland, 33, obtained again within the win column with a five-round victory over Paulo Costa lower than six months later at UFC 301 in June to keep up his place because the No. 1 contender.
Du Plessis, 30, cemented his standing as champion with a submission win over Israel Adesanya in Perth in August for his first title defence.
Each fighters have gained a title combat in opposition to the previous longtime champion Adesanya who lately gave his temporary ideas on the rematch.
“I feel (Du Plessis is) gonna take it once more,” Adesanya advised Sportsnet’s Aaron Bronsteter previous to his current loss to Nassourdine Imavov. “He’s simply cussed. He’s cussed, he’s strong-willed, so you may have to have the ability to break his will to beat him.”
Strickland couldn’t break Du Plessis’s will in Toronto the best way he broke Adesanya’s at UFC 293 in Sydney in the very same venue UFC 312 takes place.
The brash American was at his only in opposition to Du Plessis every time he was the one transferring ahead and every time he would let his proper hand fly. It’s additionally the punch that helped flip the tables and practically finish his title combat with Adesanya.
That sort of huge momentum shift is not one thing he may generate in opposition to Du Plessis. Strickland has continued working with present 205-pound champion Alex Pereira who’ll be in Strickland’s nook in Australia as was the state of affairs in Toronto.
Du Plessis, in the meantime, has stated within the lead-up to the rematch he feels he is a greater model of the fighter who turned champ. Full cease.
“Mentally, I’m feeling wonderful, feeling as all the time simply able to go,” Du Plessis advised Predominant Occasion after arriving in Australia. “My physique going into this combat, there’s no accidents. I really feel the perfect I’ve ever felt when it comes to health. … We take a look at this stuff and I’m the perfect I’ve ever been.”
He acknowledged he was barely apprehensive forward of UFC 297 as a result of it was his first five-round foremost occasion within the UFC, however after successful a high-output five-rounder in opposition to Strickland then his subsequent fourth-round submission win over Adesanya, the champ has a completely new stage of confidence.
“I completed one of many best in Israel Adesanya and now I’m going to complete Sean Strickland,” Du Plessis added. “Put that complete argument to mattress with that judges’ resolution.”