Adesanya Expresses UFC 312 as Potentially Challenging Bout for Du Plessis and Strickland
Prepare yourself, MMA fans, for the highly anticipated middleweight title rematch at UFC 312 on February 8! The event will be headlined by current champion Dricus du Plessis and his former title holder, Sean Strickland. After a close split decision win in their initial bout at UFC 297, both fighters are set to face off once again.
Former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, who has experienced losses to both competitors, shares his thoughts about the rematch. According to Adesanya, the upcoming fight will be a demanding challenge for both Du Plessis and Strickland. He mentions that he believes Du Plessis could emerge victorious in a close match, or potentially in a more decisive outcome this time around.
As for Adesanya himself, he's scheduled to go head-to-head with Nassourdine Imavov in the main event of a UFC Fight Night card in Saudi Arabia on February 1. His recent performance against Strickland and Du Plessis did not please him, as he dropped decisions in both matches – first against Strickland at UFC 293 and subsequently against Du Plessis through submission at UFC 305.
Let's take a trip down memory lane and revisit the first duel between Du Plessis and Strickland, which headlined UFC 297 in January 2024. At the time, Strickland held the UFC middleweight title, while Du Plessis ranked second in the official UFC rankings. The tense contest ended in a split decision in favor of Du Plessis, marking the end of Strickland's title reign without a successful defense.
Strickland went on to clinch a split decision victory over Paulo Costa in the co-main event of UFC 302 in June, vowing to reclaim the title from Du Plessis.
In their first matchup, Du Plessis thrived with six successful takedown attempts and held 2:08 of control time. However, Strickland managed to outland Du Plessis, connecting on 173 significant strikes, while Du Plessis landed 137 of his attempts.
The odds for UFC 312's main event have du Plessis favored at -188 to -206, indicating a 65.28% to 68.5% chance of winning. Strickland, as the underdog, is predicted to have a 38.17% to 38.5% chance of victory at +162 to +159.
Tune in to ESPN+ pay-per-view on February 8 to witness the exhilarating rematch between Du Plessis and Strickland from Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia!
- MMA enthusiasts should mark their calendars for UFC 312 on February 8, where UFC fans can witness the highly anticipated rematch between Dricus du Plessis and Sean Strickland in the middleweight division.
- Sean Strickland, who previously lost to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297, will look to turn the tables in their UFC 312 bout, which is officially titled 'Du Plessis vs. Strickland 2'.
- UFC legend Israel Adesanya, who has faced both Du Plessis and Strickland, acknowledges the upcoming rematch and believes that the event will showcase a demanding challenge for both fighters, with Du Plessis potentially emerging victorious, as he did in their first encounter.
