Du Plessis’s Strickland Rematch Debate and Later Win
After taking the UFC middleweight title from Sean Strickland by split decision at UFC 297, Dricus du Plessis rejected the idea that he owed Strickland an immediate rematch. “I don’t owe Sean anything,” he said in August 2024, with a first title defense against Israel Adesanya already scheduled for UFC 305.
A close first fight and a disputed result
Du Plessis won the January 2024 contest on two of three judges’ scorecards, taking the championship from Strickland. Strickland maintained that he had done enough to win and pointed to a cut over his eye from an accidental clash of heads during the fight. The official result remained a split decision for du Plessis; the disagreement was part of the fighters’ public argument, not a change to the record.
Du Plessis’ August comment was made before his first defense against Adesanya. He said he considered his win clear enough that he did not need to prioritize Strickland’s demand for a rematch. Du Plessis went on to submit Adesanya at UFC 305, retaining the belt.
The rematch eventually happened
Strickland did get another title shot. The pair met again at UFC 312 in February 2025, and du Plessis won by unanimous decision to retain the middleweight championship. The second result settled their rivalry in the cage, though the close first fight had already fueled months of debate among fans.
UFC 297: Dricus du Plessis def. Sean Strickland by split decision to win the middleweight title. UFC 312: Du Plessis def. Strickland by unanimous decision in their rematch.
Sources
- MMA Fighting: Du Plessis on a Strickland rematch
- UFC: UFC 305 result and scorecards
- UFC: UFC 312 results
- UFC: Official UFC 297 results
Tags
MMA, Combat Sports
