Du Plessis Took Different Routes Past Whittaker
Dricus du Plessis defeated Robert Whittaker in July 2023 and Sean Strickland in January 2024 on his way to the UFC middleweight championship. The two results came through different approaches: a second-round stoppage followed by a closely scored five-round decision.
Whittaker fell to sustained pressure
At UFC 290 on July 8, 2023, du Plessis damaged Whittaker late in the opening round before continuing his attack in the second. He hurt the former champion again and followed with punches to force the stoppage.
The official finish came at 2:23 of round two at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The victory extended du Plessis’s unbeaten UFC run and established another major result in his pursuit of the championship.
Strickland presented a longer assignment
Their UFC 297 title fight took place in Toronto on January 20, 2024. Strickland began effectively behind his jab, managing distance and maintaining steady striking output.
Du Plessis gradually found heavier punches and mixed takedowns into his attack. Strickland continued working through the final round, and the contest reached the judges after five rounds.
The championship changed hands
Two judges scored the fight 48–47 for du Plessis, while the third returned the same margin for Strickland. The split decision made du Plessis UFC middleweight champion.
Those completed meetings supplied a concrete basis for comparing his experiences against the two opponents. Whittaker’s defeat came from a finishing sequence, while Strickland’s resulted from a narrow majority verdict across the full championship distance.
Sources
- UFC: Whittaker fight sequence and second-round finish
- UFC: Strickland fight sequence and championship result
- UFC: Toronto date and split scorecards
