Middleweight UFC Champion Drcius Du Plessis believes that he will have to drastically change his strategy for his rematch against former champion Sean Strickland. The first fight at UFC 297 was a close affair, and many said that Sean Strickland should have retained his title and was robbed. The current champion is noticing this and making the proper adjustments to silence his critics.
Du Plessis recently discussed his new strategy with ESPN MMA reporter McKenzie Pavacich. He broke down his thoughts about his upcoming fight with Sean Strickland at UFC 312.
“Last time, I couldn’t keep him on the ground. If I get him to the ground, can I keep him there this time?”
“And if not, just with my striking being better—catching him more often from the beginning of the fight rather than waiting. You know, missing a lot of shots because he’s defensively a very, very good fighter.”
“So just landing a shot here and there is not necessarily going to help me get that finish. I’m going to need to look for it and start pushing the pace early on, ’cause now I know I can do it for five rounds.”
Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland have a dance with destiny.
Strickland and Du Plessis have overcome the odds to become champions against the same foe in Israel Adesanya. However, the competitive bout between them makes this one of the most anticipated rematches in quite some time. He is currently as self-aware and critical of his performance as possible, desiring to improve his weaknesses and pondering what he will do if things don’t go his way.
On the other hand, there is the technical MMA boxer Strickland, who has effectively outclassed one of the best strikers in middleweight history. We are in store for quite the match this weekend.
