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Dricus Du Plessis Reacts to Sean Strickland Rematch, Says It Wasn't His 'Preferred' Fight

'Strickland it is,' Du Plessis accepts his fight at UFC 312, but it isn't the one he preferred.

Mathew Riddle

Strickland (MMA Junkie) / Du Plessis (Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Dricus Du Plessis has revealed that his UFC 312 rematch with Sean Strickland wasn't the fight he wanted, but he's "not unhappy" with the UFC's decision to make the fight.

Du Plessis and Strickland fought in the first PPV of 2024, UFC 297, with 'Stillnocks' edging a close split decision. The result was contentious, to say the least, and many fans called for an immediate rematch.

Despite the fan demand, Du Plessis defended his belt against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305, and Strickland defeated Paulo Costa to return to the win column at UFC 302. Now, the pair are rebooked to end their saga in Sydney on February 8, 2025.

Related: MMA Legend Chael Sonnen's Scorecard for Du Plessis vs. Strickland 1

Dricus du Plessis defeating Sean Strickland at UFC 297
Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Dricus Du Plessis Clarifies he Wanted Khamzat Chimaev Next

Du Plessis took to X on December 10, to clarify his thoughts on the Strickland rematch.

"Just for clarification I preferred the Khamzat fight but the rematch is a fight most wanted before Khamzat vs. Whittaker," Du Plessis wrote. "I'm not unhappy with the UFC's decision like I said I'll fight the man fans think is the next best guy he was promised the fight so Strickland it is."

In the replies, one user remarked that "nobody thought Strickland was the next best guy," to which Du Plessis jested, "I have to agree with you on that one."

Recency bias would place Chimaev higher on the middleweight food chain than Strickland. 'Borz' submitted Whittaker inside a round at UFC 308, destroying his teeth with a face crank. Though Du Plessis' words ring true, before Chimaev-Whittaker happened, the rematch with Strickland was the anticipated fight.

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Mathew Riddle
MATHEW RIDDLE

Mathew is a UK-based combat sports journalist, graphic designer, and SEO expert with over five years of experience in digital marketing and a dedicated four-year track record in MMA journalism. He joined MMAKO in 2023. Mathew's insights have been featured on The Fight Fanatic, Heavy on UFC, Fansided, and Sportskeeda. Reach him at mr@thefightfanatic.com.

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