Israel Adesanya isn’t buying into Sean Strickland’s stand-and-bang ultimatum for reigning UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis ahead of their rematch.
Du Plessis and Strickland are set to reignite their rivalry in the main event of UFC 312 on Feb. 8 at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. This highly anticipated rematch comes a year after their intense first encounter at UFC 297 in January 2024, where “Stillknocks” clinched a hard-fought split decision to claim the 185-pound crown.
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Their initial clash was a savage striking war, and Strickland is hell-bent on keeping it just as intense for their rematch.
In a fiery social media video earlier this month, “Tarzan” urged Du Plessis to “be a f**king man” and stick to the battle on the feet, dismissing any grappling exchanges when they meet in the “Land Down Under.”
The South African champion has already dismissed Strickland’s proposals as “ridiculous” and made it clear that he’s unafraid to bring a full spectrum of skills to the Octagon.
“The Last Stylebender” shares a history with both men and will be keeping a close eye on the UFC 312 headliner, having faced them in his last two outings before shifting his focus to Nassourdine Imavov for his return at UFC Saudi Arabia this Saturday.
During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Adesanya shared his thoughts on Strickland’s striking-only proposal for Du Plessis. The seasoned former UFC middleweight champion trashed the outspoken American’s suggestion, pointing out that it reflects poorly on Strickland to try and remove an essential aspect of a MMA fight.
“That’s kind of silly,” Adesanya said. “It’s silly to say. I don’t think he means it because Dricus is good at what he does. Trying to take that away from him would be you’re not really proving you’re the best then.”
While the first encounter between Du Plessis and Strickland was a closely contested affair, Adesanya, drawing from his own experience, still backs Du Plessis to successfully defend his title at UFC 312.
“Look, I think Dricus is probably going to win that fight. He’s great at what he does.”