Dricus du Plessis is set to compete in the biggest match of his life against Sean Strickland at UFC 297. The South African fighter is coming off a shocking win over Robert Whittaker. Furthermore, he was supposed to fight Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 but was replaced by Strickland due to an injury. In a recent interview with James Lynch, DDP discussed his game plan against the current middleweight champion.
Dricus du Plessis (20-2-0) has made a huge impact in the UFC with just six fights in the promotion. Furthermore, the former KSW Welterweight Champion is undefeated in the UFC so far. When James Lynch asked ‘Stillknocks’ about the stylistic difference between him and Sean, he explained his game plan in detail. “When you get me and Strickland, you’re getting two guys who are not afraid to stand and bang,” said du Plessis.
Furthermore, Dricus du Plessis believes that Sean Strickland likes to put a lot of pressure on his opponent, and since his opponents try to invade the pressure, Sean shifts his focus toward defense, leading to less amount of action. However, Dricus plans to put constant pressure on Sean. “If you get two guys that are fighting on their front foot, who like to put on pressure, you’re gonna get a clash in the middle of the cage,” said du Plessis.
His gameplan looks very similar to what Jared Cannonier used against Sean Strickland. Jared put constant pressure through his versatile striking on the body and legs to counter Strikland’s infamous jab. Furthermore, ‘Stillknocks’ is working with boxers who can mimic Strickland’s style in his training camp. If Dricus is able to use this game plan to perfection, he has a great chance of becoming the new middleweight champion.
Dricus du Plessis plans to finish Sean Strickland within three rounds
Dricus du Plessis is very confident about his chances against Sean Strickland. When he was asked to predict the title fight, he gave a very confident reply. While the 29-year-old fighter claimed that the first round would play a crucial role in how the fight would end, he is sure that he will win the fight. “I think this fight will end with me getting my hand raised with a belt around my waist, there’s no two ways about it,” said DDP.
Furthermore, he promised that he’d try to end the fight as soon as he saw an opportunity to finish his opponent. “There’s no way we are going to championship rounds in this fight,” said Dricus du Plessis. It looks like Dricus is very confident about his ability to end this fight within three rounds. However, Sean has a very strong defense, which can cause problems for the title challenger.
#UFC297 @SStricklandMMA and @dricusduplessis both coming off career best performances against top tier competition in @robwhittakermma and @stylebender
Sean schools Izzy and wins 49-46 (4-1)
Dricus takes Whittaker down in round 1, cuts him open and finishes him round 2#UFC pic.twitter.com/QuFOkRzFrc
— ratio master (@emperorratio) November 9, 2023
Dricus showcased his power in his last fight when he finished a UFC veteran like Robert Whittaker in the second round. It will be interesting to see how these two match up against each other at UFC 297.
Dana White plans to start 2024 with a spectacular UFC 297 card
UFC 297 will be the first event of 2024 for the MMA giants. The PPV is set to take place on January 20, 2024, at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada. The main event will feature Sean Strickland defending his newly won Middleweight Championship for the first time against the No. 2 ranked Dricus du Plessis.
Furthermore, in the co-main event, the No. 2 ranked Raquel Pennington will face Mayra Bueno Silva for the vacant Women’s Bantamweight Championship. This championship has been vacant since the retirement of Amanda Nunes in June 2023.
UFC 297 baby … I’m pumped AF the count down is on .. sent away for my tickets 🎫 2DAY .. WE ARE LOCKED & LOADED BABY .. 66 sleeps 🛌 and the clock ⏰ STARTS NOW !!!!!!!!!!👊🏻🇨🇦👊🏻 #UFC297 #MMA #BJJ pic.twitter.com/O8vgH8hxag
— steve jeffs (@steves_simpson) November 16, 2023
This PPV features many more exciting bouts, including a match featuring Strickland’s buddy Chris Curtis and Canadian Marc-Andre Barriault. Furthermore, the light heavyweight division will be having two very exciting bouts on this card.
Firstly, the Former Light Heavyweight Champion Jan Blachowicz will fight No. 5 ranked Aleksandar Rakic for the second time following a knee injury loss for Rakic. Secondly, New Zealand’s rising star, Carlos Ulberg, will take on veteran Dominick Reyes in the biggest fight of his career so far.
#ufc297 tickets secured. Card is extremely solid from top to bottom. Don’t understand the whining pic.twitter.com/IE92AQ5bsh
— P (@pvs2401) November 15, 2023
Other exciting bouts on the card are Arnold Allen vs. Movsar Evloev, Neil Magny vs. Mike Malott, and Brad Katona vs. Garrett Armfield. The card features a lot of Canadian fighters who will enjoy the home crowd advantage. Hopefully, this card will kickstart 2024 in the best way possible for MMA fans.
