"Damage, duration, dominance" - Former UFC champion explains why Dricus du Plessis won judges' nod over Sean Strickland at UFC 297

Reactions from the former UFC champion following Dricus Du Plessis — Former UFC champion reacts to Dricus du Plessis' (left) victory over Sean Strickland (right) [Image via: @ufc on Instagram]

Dricus du Plessis defeated Sean Strickland via split decision after a back-and-forth five-round battle to win the middleweight title at UFC 297 in Toronto, Canada, this past weekend. While the judges' decision has divided the MMA community, a former UFC champion has offered his take on the closely contested bout.

Michael Bisping recently discussed the UFC 297 main event on his YouTube channel. 'The Count' praised du Plessis for his comeback after a challenging first round and explained why the South African rightfully won on the judges' scorecards.

The UFC Hall of Famer opined that the newly crowned champion's forward pressure and explosive attacks earned him the title, saying:

''I do feel that just fighting behind the jab was kind of what got Dricus the decision. Throwing the big kicks, throwing the head kicks, the body kicks and swinging and going forward, being the aggressor. The 3Ds, that's how you score a fight: Damage, Duration and Dominance.''

Bisping added:

''If it's all even, then they look at other things like octagon control, okay? and the visual of Dricus going forward, swinging, throwing head kicks, and stuff like that that skews the opinion that might get the judge to lean towards your side.''

Check out Michael Bisping's comments below (4.35):

While Strickland out-landed du Plessis in terms of the strike count, the American was on the back foot for the majority of the bout. Notably, 'Stillknocks' did land quite a few takedowns but didn't accrue much control time.

Dricus du Plessis responds to Ian Garry's ''amateur'' remark after UFC 297 win

Dricus du Plessis and Ian Garry traded barns online after the South African middleweight's title-winning performance at UFC 297. Reacting to the highlights of the recently concluded pay-per-view main event on X, Garry criticized both Sean Strickland and du Plessis, labeling them "amateurs."

The undefeated Irish welterweight said:

''Just sloppy boxing. Look, [just] Swinging. Look at this [shakes his head in disappointment]. The f*****g state of this. Zero technique, just slugging it out now. Oh my god, I feel like I'm watching two amateurs fight [laughs hysterically]. If I ever have a fight like that, please tell me to retire."