Dricus du Plessis couldn’t have asked for a better outcome in the UFC 328 main event on Saturday.
The former middleweight titleholder was at Newark’s Prudential Center to watch Sean Strickland take the belt from Khamzat Chimaev.
In beating ‘Borz’ over five rounds, the American did what DDP and all of Chimaev’s previous opponents had failed to do inside the cage.
But Du Plessis does hold two wins over Strickland, a rare feat in itself.
Dricus du Plessis reacts to Sean Strickland’s win over Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328
Du Plessis first beat Strickland by split decision at UFC 297, claiming the title in the process. He followed that up with a more decisive win at UFC 312 just over a year later.
His time as champion didn’t last long, though. Chimaev took the belt from him in Chicago, using his control and wrestling to dominate Du Plessis for more than 20 minutes inside the octagon.
With ‘Borz’ now off the throne and a man whom he holds two victories over back on it, Du Plessis’ stock in the division may have been boosted on Saturday night.
Du Plessis seemed confident that Strickland would come out on top before they even stepped into the octagon, and after watching how things played out, he felt vindicated in his prediction.
“The fight went exactly the way I thought it would,” Du Plessis said while giving his immediate reaction to the fight in a backstage video for the UFC.
“A great, great fight by Sean. Like I said, it’s so hard to keep that man on the ground. He is incredibly tough to hold on.”
He made Khamzat tired. That is exactly what happened,” he added. “And like I said, in the stand-up, (Chimaev) won’t be able to hang with him.
The South African has hinted at a return since then and continues to be linked with a potential bout against welterweight legend Kamaru Usman.
If that bout does come together – something fans have been waiting for quite some time – picking up a win could put him right back into title contention later this year.
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