Dricus Du Plessis vs Sean Strickland 2: Will there be a different result?

On January 19, 2025By Littum

All eyes will be on the main event of UFC 312 when middleweight champion Dricus ‘Stillknocks’ Du Plessis puts the belt on the line against the man he took it from, Sean Strickland, in Sydney, Australia on February 9.

There is no love lost between the two UFC stars, leading to an all-out war in the Octagon. Odds off online betting sites is in favor of the South African champion, but as we have already seen – write off Strickland at your peril!

These fighters fought just over a year ago at UFC 297. Sean was the champion at the time after a stunning display against Israel Adesanya at UFC 293, scoring a unanimous decision victory over ‘The Last Stylebender’.

Meanwhile, Dricus was on a six-fight winning streak in the promotion and became the first man to defeat Robert Whittaker by TKO.

Strickland and Du Plessis produced a dogfight when they clashed in the Octagon and in what many believed to be a close contest, it was the South African who saw his arm raised in a split decision victory.

Since then, Strickland has done numerous interviews and podcasts claiming he was robbed, which has only angered Dricus, with the ‘Stillknocks’ eyeing a dominating win this time around.

Dricus Du Plessis vs Sean Strickland 2: What to expect?

Dricus Du Plessis

Dricus Du Plessis (22-2-0) is currently undefeated since joining the UFC, with wins over some of the biggest names in the middleweight division. The South African has victories over the likes of Brad Tavares, Darren Till, Derek Brunson, Whittaker, Strickland and Adesanya, who he successfully defended his belt at UFC 305.

It’s not just the fact that Dricus has beaten some of the biggest names in the division, but what’s even more impressive is how he’s getting those wins. He beat Brunson to a pulp, with the American fighter’s corner throwing in the towel. Not only that, but he was the first to beat Whittaker by TKO and the first man to submit Adesanya.

It’s quite extraordinary to think how much Dricus has achieved in such a short time, and when you consider he’s only 30 years old, he could pose a real problem for anyone with aspirations of becoming the next middleweight champion. DDP seems to be getting better after every match.

Sean Strickland

Sean Strickland (29-6-0) might not be too worried about being the underdog heading into this fight. Last time the odds were heavily stacked against him, we saw the best version of ‘Tarzan’ as he produced a real masterclass against middleweight king, Adesanya.

Strickland claimed he had an ‘off night’ when he fought Dricus over a year ago, and while that may have been the case, he won’t get another immediate opportunity to fight for the belt if he loses another split decision. He simply has to show up and take more risks to get the desired result.

Many felt Strickland didn’t even deserve another title shot with Khamzat Chimaev surprisingly overlooked, so Sean will have extra motivation when he steps into the Octagon.

Prediction: And still… (Du Plessis to win)

It is no surprise to see the bookies strongly behind Du Plessis. The South African is unstoppable at the moment and despite how Strickland feels, DDP deservedly won the first meeting. Sean only came alive in the dying minutes of the match, but before that point he refused to take many risks and was comfortable just sitting back and throwing jabs. Last time the judges scored this contest a split decision, but this time we’re backing a more convincing win for DDP.