Dricus Du Plessis is still two weeks away from his middleweight title fight with UFC champion Sean Strickland at UFC 297, but that hasn’t stopped “Stillknocks” from leaving for Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and setting up shop early.
Du Plessis, who is 6-0 since joining UFC back in 2020, has certainly earned his shot at the UFC middleweight title. He’s coming off a spectacular knockout finish over former titleholder Robert Whittaker and also holds stoppages over veterans like Derek Brunson and Darren Till. Needless to say, Du Plessis deserves to be in this spot and seems to be pulling out all the stops to ensure a successful trip into Canada.
Standing in Du Plessis’ way of a UFC title is none other than Strickland, who shocked the MMA world back at UFC 293 with an upset decision win over Israel Adesanya. Strickland isn’t the most overpowering middleweight in the world, but his shot selection, forward movement, and cardio are second to none at 185 pounds. He’s a tough out for any fighter, especially a fairly reckless one like Du Plessis.
What makes this matchup even more interesting is the fact that Du Plessis and Strickland downright hate each other. The two exchanged personal barbs during a press conference last month before literally brawling in the stands at UFC 296. Strickland, who is one of the more mentally tough fighters in the sport today, even had an emotional breakdown recently stemming from comments Du Plessis made about his father.
Pack all of that together and you have one of the most anticipated showdowns of 2024. Maybe that’s why Du Plessis has flown out to Toronto two weeks early to get a head start on the biggest fight of his life. On Saturday, the South African fighter took to Instagram to deliver one final message to his fans.
Check it out below:
“That’s a wrap! Hard part of camp is in the books, prepare to see the best Stillknocks by far step in there 20 Jan. My coaches my team and everyone involved in this camp I will be forever grateful.
“Tonight we fly out to go get what I promised myself, those who’ve always been in my corner and the Whole South Africa. I promise you I’m bringing home the @ufc MW title or I’ll die trying.”
For more UFC 297 news and coverage click here.