South African fighter and defending Champion Dricus Du Plessis has proved he is a fighter to contend with after beating Sean Strickland again going into UFC 312.
In Sydney, he beat Strickland, picking up a unanimous decision in the 185-pound fight.
Although most people would have expected a knockout as the champion was the heavy favorite, he grabbed a unanimous decision by marks of 50-45, 50-45, and 49-46.
“I told you that when I come here, I’m trying to get the knockout, but to knock out that man is next to impossible,” said Du Plessis who broke his contender’s nose.
“I wanted a submission, a KO, or an absolute five-round domination, and that’s what I got.”
The South African champion had caught Strickland with his right hand in the fourth quarter, and the latter could not do much after that. Strickland raced around the court, trying to wipe the blood coming out of his nose while Dricus pursued.
“The game plan was to stay calm, and that was really hard once I saw him grabbing at his nose like that,” Du Plessis said. “It’s like having someone in front of you who is rocked. It took me 30 seconds to a minute to get back my composure. I don’t want to make a habit of [going to decision], but against a competitor like [Strickland], it happens.”
Sean had wanted this fight more than anything, claiming he should have won Dricus back in Toronto last year and he wanted a rematch. But the fight did not go so well for him now, did it?
