"As if Sean Strickland fights are entertaining" - Dricus du Plessis shares honest take on “the biggest difference” between him and UFC 312 opponent

Dricus du Plessis is set to face Sean Strickland in their rematch at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney on Feb. 8. Ahead of the fight, the reigning UFC middleweight champion highlighted the significant difference in fighting styles between himself and the American.

In their first showdown at UFC 297, ‘Stillknocks’ claimed a hard-fought split decision victory over ‘Tarzan’ to capture the 185-pound title. However, the result was met with controversy, as many, including UFC CEO Dana White, believed Strickland deserved the judges' nod.

Speaking with Mark Bouris, du Plessis highlighted the key differences between his and Strickland’s fighting styles. He criticized the former middleweight champion’s approach, asserting that it lacks aggression and entertainment. In contrast, the South African believes his style is more fan-friendly, as he always goes for the finish, whereas Strickland prioritizes defense. He also pointed out that Strickland’s fights often go to a decision, while his rarely do.

The champion said:

"The last time. This is a stat you can check for 23 minutes, I went forward, and he went forward for only two minutes. It's a very effective style, that's his style, but let's not act as if Sean Strickland fights are entertaining.”

He added:

“The man has eight split decision fights—six wins and two losses against me and [Jared] Cannonier. That is not someone looking for an exciting fight. I have two decisions in my whole career. Split decisions happen because he's not doing anything to prove that he's winning the fight."

He concluded:

“He's fighting not to lose, as opposed to fighting to win. He prioritizes defense over offense, while I prioritize offense because I'm there to give the people who spend their hard-earned money on pay-per-views and arena tickets a show, a fight. I'm in there to kill someone, not to point my way to victory. And I think that's the biggest difference between us."

Check out Dricus du Plessis’ comments below (0:26):

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Sean Strickland believes his striking is better than Dricus du Plessis' ahead of UFC 312

In the 'UFC 312 Countdown' preview, Sean Strickland claimed that his striking is far superior to Dricus du Plessis'. He compared their performances against a common opponent, Israel Adesanya, asserting that ‘The Last Stylebender’ was getting the better of ‘Stillknocks’ in the striking exchanges. Strickland stated:

“The thing about Dricus is, he does nothing right but it always works out. He fights hard. You just got to have your hands where they need to be, have your hips where they need to be. I think my striking is light years better than his. Izzy was beating him [du Plessis] in the striking [department]. I dog-walked Izzy.”

Check out Sean Strickland’s comments below: