Dricus Du Plessis retained his middleweight crown in a bloody title rematch against Sean Strickland, leaving no doubt this time around.
The middleweight title bout was the UFC 312 main event at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) outworked Strickland (29-7 MMA, 16-7 UFC) over 25 minutes to earn unanimous scores from the judges .
In the first round, Du Plessis patiently worked his way around Strickland’s tight defense. The champ offered a variety of kicks, going to the head with a few while also finding home for a few punches. Strickland maintained his signature straight-standing stance, popping out quick jabs and teeps.
