“Not competitive,” Daniel Cormier shocked by the approach of Team Dricus Du Plessis on combating the style Sean Strickland

Team Dricus Du Plessis expresses certainty in overcoming Sean Strickland at UFC 297 despite Strickland's recent dominant performance.

“Not competitive,” Daniel Cormier shocked by the approach of Team Dricus Du Plessis on combating the style Sean Strickland

Daniel Cormier baffled by Team Dricus Du Plessis' assessment of Sean Strickland (Image via: IMAGO)

Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland headline UFC 297, the first PPV of 2023. The duo had a heated exchange during the pre-fight press conference for the event, and it even continued to an altercation at UFC 296. Daniel Cormier recently spoke to one of the team members of Du Plessis.

The Du Plessis team surprised Cormier with their assessment of Sean Strickland as a fighter. Cormier spoke about it in the recent episode of his YouTube show Funky and the Champ with Ben Askren. This is what he said.

I talk to people close to Du Plessis. They believe it is an afterthought that he gets through Sean Strickland like they believe that he is so far ahead of Sean Strickland that it will not be competitive. I don't know how you watch that last fight and feel like that.
Daniel Cormier via YT
YouTube video

Cormier is one of the best analysts in MMA. He found Team Du Plessis’ assessment of Sean Strickland baffling. This is because Strickland dominated Israel Adesanya to win the middleweight championship. The assessment also surprised Askren who found Strickland to be a good matchup for Du Plessis.

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Du Plessis and Strickland were respectful of each other in the beginning. However, they have become heated rivals in a short span. With Israel Adesanya announcing his comeback and Khamzat Chimaev lurking in the wings, fans can expect blockbuster fights in the middleweight division.

Related: WATCH: “Wild to see how things go” – 185-pound Dricus du Plessis sparring with featherweight Alexander Volkanovski has fans mesmerized

Daniel Cormier and Ben Askren previews Sean Strickland vs Dricus Du Plessis

In the latest episode of Funky and the Champ, Daniel Cormier and Ben Askren previewed the main event of UFC 297. The UFC fans highly anticipate the fight between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis. It is mainly due to their heated verbal and physical altercations.

 Sean Strickland vs Dricus Du Plessis
 Sean Strickland vs Dricus Du Plessis (via YouTube)

Cormier and Askren find the matchup very intriguing. Askren provided an analysis of what could happen in the fight. This is what he said.

The thing about Du Plessis and Sean Strickland is that Shan Strickland has let people hit him before. Du Plessis hits hard and he is kind of awkward. Sometimes those awkward fighters are the worst ones to fight because punches come from weird angles. So, I still think Du Plessis is probably going to connect a few times. I mean, I think Sean Strickland is probably going to win the fight, but I'm definitely not ruling out Dricus winning.
Ben Askren via YT

Askren favors Strickland to win the fight but will not be surprised to see Du Plessis winning the bout. As of now, Strickland is a slight favorite to win the bout, with Du Plessis as a slight underdog. The winner of the bout has intriguing matchups awaiting him in the division.

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