Dricus du Plessis made history at the UFC by defeating Sean Strickland to become the Middleweight champion.
Dricus du Plessis is now the UFC Middleweight champion
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Du Plessis, a second contender and ranked third in the Middleweight category, entered the octagon at the Scotiabank Arena, in Ontario, Canada, as the underdog eager to prove himself against detractors who swore he would not have the endurance to last five rounds.
With the first round not in his favour, Du Plessis took it up the chin, quite literally, and returned to deliver a stellar professional display for four rounds, leaving Strickland bludgeoned.
In the end, the match went to the judges, two of whom scored the clash in Du Plessis’s favour, making him the first South African mixed martial arts fighter to win a UFC title.
Asked about his plans as the new Middleweight champion, Du Plessis made it abundantly clear he has his eyes set on Israel Adesanya.
Here is a look at the scorecard for Dricus du Plessis vs Sean Strickland:
Sean Strickland | Fight stats | Dricus du Plessis |
---|---|---|
0 | Knockdowns | 0 |
130/320 (40.6) | Total strikes % | 105/272 (38.6) |
120/309 (38.8) | Significant strikes % | 102/268 (38.1) |
0/0 (—) | Takedowns % | 6/9 (66.7) |
0 | Submission attempts | 0 |