Dricus du Plessis Analyzes Sean Strickland, Previews Potential Imavov Rematch

Former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis shared high praise for reigning titleholder Sean Strickland during an appearance on Fight Forecast, breaking down what makes the current champion such a grueling puzzle inside the Octagon. Du Plessis, who spent 50 combined minutes in the cage with Strickland across two title bouts and won both, spoke on Strickland's recent title-winning upset over Khamzat Chimaev after du Plessis had previously lost the belt to Chimaev.

Du Plessis highlighted Strickland's underrated grappling and relentless pace as the key factors in his success against Chimaev. "He's always been a great wrestler," du Plessis said. "I took him down, I think seven times, but to hold him down is very, very hard, and that was going to be the question, especially for the Khamzat fight, which he answered." Du Plessis noted that after Chimaev pushed hard in the opening round, Strickland continued working, stopped subsequent takedowns, and forced Chimaev into deep waters.

"He got forced to fight Strickland's fight. And Strickland wins that every single time."

While an official booking has yet to be finalized, all signs point to Nassourdine Imavov being next in line for Strickland's first defense. Strickland previously defeated Imavov via unanimous decision in a short-notice 205-pound contest in 2023. Imavov has since compiled a five-fight winning streak, including a knockout victory over former champion Israel Adesanya, to position himself as the top contender.

Despite acknowledging that Imavov's current streak earns him the title opportunity, du Plessis does not favor the challenger's chances in a rematch. Du Plessis stated that he has not seen sufficient evolution in Imavov's approach to overcome Strickland, expressing skepticism that Imavov can change the outcome against the champion's relentless style.