Morne Visser advocates for a title fight opportunity for Dricus Du Plessis. Du Plessis (24-3 MMA, 10-1 UFC) has previously defeated Sean Strickland twice in UFC middleweight title matches but ultimately lost his championship to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319. Strickland (31-7 MMA, 18-7 UFC) then took the title from Chimaev at UFC 328 and is reportedly set to face Nassourdine Imavov next.
Despite this, Du Plessis’ coach holds a different view, believing a rematch between Strickland and Imavov isn’t necessary since Strickland already bested Imavov in a short-notice light heavyweight fight in January 2023. After Du Plessis convincingly defeated former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in July, Visser feels that either a fight against Chimaev or a direct title shot would be a logical next step.
“I think Sean’s got that figured out,” Visser told Fight Forecast. “He knows Imavov well, and Imavov is quite experienced. He’s unlikely to change his approach much from their last fight; he’ll just try to improve on it. Sean will be ready to exploit that, so I believe our next opponent will be Sean.”
Visser also shared his thoughts on what a third fight between Du Plessis and Strickland might entail. “Sean is extremely elusive, with his unique Philly shell defense and unexpected wrestling skills,” he explained. “He avoids being pinned, keeps his hips heavy, and knows how to tire out opponents through wrestling. So it’d likely be another stand-up battle like their previous encounters.
“We’ve now figured out how to counter the Philly shell, which is where we’ll focus. If Sean is smart, he might try to change tactics since he’s lost to us twice using stand-up, possibly leaning more on wrestling. But since the Khamzat fight, it’s been a year, and we’ve learned so much; the mistakes we made then won’t happen again.”
Fan Take: This potential trilogy between Du Plessis and Strickland is a must-watch for fight fans, as it promises high-level strategic adjustments and technical mastery from both fighters. A win here could dramatically shake up the middleweight division and set new rivalries in motion, fueling excitement for upcoming UFC events.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
