"That for sure will be over in the first round" - Chael Sonnen shares definitive prediction for Sean Strickland vs. Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297
Chael Sonnen has put forth his breakdown of the upcoming Sean Strickland vs. Dricus du Plessis showdown. Reigning UFC middleweight champion Strickland is booked to defend his championship against du Plessis in the headlining matchup of UFC 297 this Saturday night.
Taking to his YouTube channel, MMA fighter-turned-analyst Sonnen suggested that du Plessis hasn't been as active as 'Tarzan' in recent months and hasn't competed in a five-round matchup. He indicated that, alternatively, Strickland possesses the experience of fighting in five-round MMA bouts and does some of his best work in the championship rounds (four and five).
Sonnen opined that there are "a lot of question marks" regarding du Plessis. He alluded to the South African fighter's warning that he'll take 'Tarzan' down and beat him up. Having previously trained with Strickland, he alluded to himself being a more accomplished wrestler and noted that he couldn't take him (Strickland) down and beat him up in training.
While he acknowledged that he may be personalizing the analysis, Chael Sonnen believes that his fellow American fighter is capable of countering Dricus du Plessis' wrestling. He insinuated that 'DDP' does exhibit the traits of a potential champion and has done well for himself.
Nevertheless, he foresees Strickland winning the UFC 297 showdown in a war of attrition. Sonnen stated:
"He's [Dricus du Plessis] a fantastic fighter. I just don't think he's Sean Strickland. And I don't think that when the going gets tough and somebody's got to want it more than the other guy, right? Who a better fighter is, guys, that's three to five minutes. That, for sure, will be over in the first round."
He added:
"The whole game and the whole battle of who's the better fighter, for about the first three minutes, that matters. And, for sure, by five minutes, we're done. You see a second round, you're now in the tough guy business. You see a third and fourth round, you're now in the extreme tough guy business. Two tough guys, I'm taking Sean Strickland."
Check out Chael Sonnen's comments below (4:22):
UFC champion explains possible advantage Sean Strickland has over Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297
In a recent video posted to his YouTube channel, UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley harked back to Sean Strickland's unanimous decision victory over Israel Adesanya in September 2023. 'Sugar' lauded 'Tarzan' for the composure he displayed in his title-winning performance against 'The Last Stylebender'.
Speaking of which, O'Malley explained that if a similar version of Strickland shows up against du Plessis in their UFC 297 clash, he'd pick him to walk away victorious. Akin to Sonnen's latest analysis, 'Sugar' asserted that facing 'Tarzan' in five-round matchups is a lofty challenge. He said:
"If Sean Strickland shows up like he did against Izzy [Israel Adesanya], I think he beats DDP... I mean, he seemed very calm against Izzy... Five fives against Strickland is a nightmare... I don't know... I just have a feeling that Strickland gets the job done."
Watch Sean O'Malley's assessment below (8:40):