Dricus Du Plessis clarifies why he took up rematch against Sean Strickland despite preferring Khamzat Chimaev fight

UFC middleweight king Dricus du Plessis has voiced his thoughts on fighting Sean Strickland for the title again at UFC 312.

After his victory over Israel Adesanya at UFC 305, 'Stillknocks' was expected to lock horns against Strickland in a rematch. But Khamzat Chimaev's recent first-round victory over former champion Robert Whittaker impressed many in the MMA community.

Du Plessis also went on to state that he would prefer to fight 'Borz' instead of Strickland. This led to 'Tarzan' and Chimaev being the two frontrunners for a shot at middleweight gold.

During the recent UFC 310 broadcast, the rematch between Strickland and the champion was made official. The South African then uploaded a post clarifying how the fight came to be, saying he's ready to take on any fighter put in front of him by the UFC:

"Just for clarification I preferred the Khamzat fight but the rematch is a fight most wanted before Khamzat vs. Whittaker. I'm not unhappy with the UFC's decision. Like I said, I'll fight the man fans think is the next best guy. He was promised the fight so Strickland it is."

What happened in the first fight between Dricus du Plessis and Sean Strickland?

Dricus du Plessis and Sean Strickland are set to go toe-to-toe again at UFC 312. The event will be held on Feb. 8 at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia.

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This time, the two middleweights will be more familiar with one another as they have already spent 25 minutes with each other inside the octagon.

Their first encounter took place at UFC 297 in January this year. The fight was a back-and-forth affair that saw both individuals have moments of success.

The bout lasted all five rounds and ended in a split decision victory for du Plessis. The three judges scored the bout 47-48, 48-47 and 48-47 in favor of 'Stillknocks'.