UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland isn’t anticipating a simple evening in his UFC 297 foremost occasion struggle with South Africa’s Dricus du Plessis.
The highest 185-pounders are set to conflict within the UFC’s first pay-per-view occasion of 2024 on January 20 and Strickland, who scored an emphatic determination victory in opposition to Israel Adesanya in his final content material to win middleweight gold, says that the 20-2 Du Plessis (6-0 within the UFC) is nearly as robust as they arrive — however apparently not fairly robust sufficient.
“I believe Dricus is like so awkward he’s good,” stated Strickland on his private YouTube channel, as reported by LowKick MMA. Nevertheless, the American added that he doesn’t count on Du Plessis’ abilities to stack up properly in opposition to what the champion will deliver with him to the cage within the occasion un Toronto, Canada. “It’s gonna be a f*cking conflict,” Strickland predicted. “He’ll be a harder struggle than Chimaev.”
Chimaev, after all, has been heralded as one thing of a boogeyman in first the UFC welterweight and now middleweight divisions, significantly after scoring his personal conclusive victory in opposition to Kamaru Usman not too long ago, albeit in a bout hastily-arranged by UFC matchmakers.
Du Plessis, the consistently-aggressive and highly effective title contender, has earned his spot atop the January card by being close to flawless in his UFC tenure so far. After making his debut for the organisation in October 2010, Du Plessis has not too long ago scored a trio of spectacular wins in opposition to Darren Until, Derek Brunson and, in July, he completed former champion Robert Whittaker in what was a shock lead to Las Vegas.
And if he can win yet another struggle, the 29-year-old can be bringing house UFC gold to the southern hemisphere early subsequent yr.
