At UFC 312 in Sydney, South Africa’s Dricus du Plessis retained his middleweight title by defeating American challenger Sean Strickland via unanimous decision. Du Plessis, 31, demonstrated superior striking and relentless activity throughout the bout, with two judges scoring the fight 50-45 and the third 49-46 in his favor. The rematch, following a previous split-decision win in favor of du Plessis, saw the reigning champion take early control. In the fourth round, he landed a right hand that broke Strickland’s nose and should have ended the match. However, Strickland demonstrated remarkable grit and held on till the end of the fight. In his post-fight interview, du Plessis boldly challenged potential rivals, hinting at a future bout with former champion Alex Pereira while asserting his ambition to climb to the top of the pound-for-pound rankings.
Source: BBC
