Dricus du Plessis' impressive trait an anomaly for his physique, claims legendary ex-referee following UFC 312: "It's unusual" 

In a thrilling rematch at UFC 312, Dricus du Plessis successfully defended his middleweight title against Sean Strickland, winning via unanimous decision. The judges scored the bout 50-45, 50-45, and 49-46 in favor of du Plessis.

The fight saw du Plessis employing an aggressive strategy, utilizing a variety of kicks and maintaining a high volume of strikes. A pivotal moment occurred in the fourth round when du Plessis landed a powerful right hand, breaking Strickland's nose and causing significant bleeding.

Despite the injury, Strickland continued to fight, but du Plessis' relentless pace and diverse striking proved decisive.

Following the event, former referee John McCarthy described the main card as a "snoozefest" during the 'Weighing In' podcast with Josh Thomson. He highlighted du Plessis' impressive ability to maintain a high volume of strikes despite his muscular build, saying:

"He is very impressive in the fact that DDP has this volume, and he's got a gas tank for a guy that's carrying a lot of muscle. It's unusual."

McCarthy also commented on Strickland's performance, mentioning the evident frustration from his corner, particularly coach Eric Nicksick, who urged Strickland to increase his activity during the fight.

Check out McCarthy's comments below (7:58):

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Dricus du Plessis contradicts Dana White's view of Sean Strickland's professionalism: "He was definitely rattled"

In the aftermath of UFC 312, Dricus du Plessis challenged UFC CEO Dana White's assessment of Sean Strickland's composure during their rematch. White had praised Strickland's demeanor, stating:

"Absolute professional the whole time. It’s actually fascinating. The guy stays focused and keeps coming forward. There’s never any hint of how he acts outside the octagon when he’s in there. Absolute professional the whole time. It’s actually fascinating."

The South African, however, offered a different perspective. He observed that Strickland was visibly unsettled during the fight.

"He was in front of me, but he was moving backward. He didn’t stand his ground; otherwise, the crowd wouldn’t have been booing."

'Stillnocks' further elaborated:

"He was definitely rattled. I could see him going backward. My coaches—I could hear them saying, 'Chill, chill.' They were telling me to relax, but I thought, 'Ah, here we go.' I honestly thought I was going to finish him. But it just shows the caliber of fighter he is, the caliber of heart he has. He’s deserving of all the hype. What a tough, tough person. I have all the respect in the world for him."

Check out du Plessis' comments below (2:21):