"He beat Adesanya, I finished Adesanya" - Dricus du Plessis shares honest take about his closely contested win over Sean Strickland
Dricus du Plessis has not entered the octagon since last August as he defeated Israel Adesanya via fourth-round submission at UFC 305 to defend his middleweight title for the first time. He is set to make his return at UFC 312 next weekend as he faces Sean Strickland in a rematch of their closely contested clash at UFC 297, which 'Stillknocks' won via split decision to capture the belt.
While 'Tarzan' has claimed that he believes he won the bout, du Plessis recently denied that notion. Speaking to Kevin Iole, the middleweight champion stated:
"I think I was fighting the champion of the world that night and that's a very different fight if you're fighting the best in the world. He beat Adesanya, I finished Adesanya. He was the champion of the world and for a very good reason. That's why that fight played out the way it did. I had an amazing performance. Nothing like the performance I'll have. I performed better against Adesanya because the fight was made seven months later, eight months later."
Du Plessis continued:
"I evolved, ever evolving, getting better every fight and this time I'm going to be even better. This time I'll be better than I was against Adesanya. That night, I did what I had to to win that fight. The split decision was actually a shock to me because I don't think it was a split decision. I think it was a clear unanimous decision, but it was an amazing fight. It was a great fight. Strickland is defensively very, very responsible and that's why it was hard to get him out of there."
Check out Dricus du Plessis' comments on Sean Strickland below (4:08):
Du Plessis added that Strickland prioritizes his defense, but he believes fighting that style is boring. He claimed that he could point fight, but he is looking to push forward. The middleweight champion noted that he has improved since their first matchup.
Dricus du Plessis reacts to Alex Pereira cornering Sean Strickland
Alex Pereira will reportedly be in Sean Strickland's corner as he faces Dricus du Plessis at UFC 312. The middleweight champion responded to that news during a recent interview with Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports, stating:
"He was in the corner in the first fight, too. I mean, they don't even speak the same language. It doesn't really make much of a difference whether he's in the corner or not. Strickland can barely understand his own coach who’s also American. How’s he gonna understand Alex Pereira?"
Check out Dricus du Plessis' comments on Alex Pereira cornering Sean Strickland below:
When asked how he imagines it working, du Plessis claimed that it doesn't work. 'Stillknocks' will look to defend his title for the second time, which would tie him for the fourth-most title defenses in middleweight history.