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Former UFC Middleweight Champion Tosses Dig at Rival Dricus Du Plessis After UFC 305

One former UFC middleweight titleholder takes a shot at Dricus du Plessis following UFC 305.

Zain Bando

Jan 20, 2024; Toronto, Canada, USA; Dricus Du Plessis (blue gloves) celebrates defeating Sean Strickland (red glove) during UFC 297 at ScotiaBank Arena.
Jan 20, 2024; Toronto, Canada, USA; Dricus Du Plessis (blue gloves) celebrates defeating Sean Strickland (red glove) during UFC 297 at ScotiaBank Arena. / Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

While Dricus Du Plessis (22-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC) was busy celebrating beating his nemesis Israel Adesanya, another familiar title challenger awaits in the shadows as Du Plessis' second title defense is already in motion.

Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland (29-6 MMA, 16-6 UFC), was intently watching Du Plessis vs. Adesanya, as he has previous history with both men. Strickland defeated the then-middleweight champion in Adesanya in a shocking decision to claim the 185-pound strap.

Meanwhile, Du Plessis upset former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker by TKO at UFC 290, thus setting up Du Plessis vs. Adesanya. However, those plans were halted after Du Plessis was forced to pull out, leading to the musical chairs the division faces today.

Du Plessis and Strickland eventually fought in January, with Strickland's middleweight title at stake. Du Plessis won a heavily debated decision, thus leaving many members of the MMA community eager as to whether or not the promotion would run the fight back.

UFC 305: Dricus Du Plessis Submits Israel Adesanya in Sensational Main Event

While nothing has been confirmed on the UFC's side, it appears that Strickland, fresh off a decision win against Paulo Costa in June, is next in line for the rematch.

Shortly after the UFC 305 main event had concluded, Strickland tweeted, in typical Strickland fashion, his reaction to Du Plessis' submission win.

UFC News: Alex Pereira Suggests Return To 185, Dricus Du Plessis Rejects Plea

Sean Strickland Replies To Fans on 'X.'

"Time for war Dutch man......," Strickland wrote at 1 a.m. ET.

Strickland then took the time to reply to fans and media members about logistics ahead of the fight, including where it might take place. Charlie Quinn of FIGHT SPORTS asked about a timetable as to if the rematch could happen before the year concludes, to which Strickland promptly replied.

"Vegas man.. I always travel. Let me fight in my country.. unless you want me to go fix south Africa. We can go to Africa and fight infront of a bunch of white people lmao," Strickland wrote.

It remains to be seen when the pair will lock horns again, but at the very least, it's a middleweight attraction with tense pre-fight buildup already attached to it and storylines stemming as far as controversial racial undertones.

UFC 305 Post-Fight Press Conference Live Stream: Israel Adesanya & Dricus du Plessis

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99

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