“He’s a real man,” Dricus Du Plessis’ sly dig at Israel Adesanya while claiming Sean Strickland is a tougher opponent

Dricus Du Plessis hails his opponent Sean Strickland ahead of their upcoming UFC 297 middleweight title fight.

“He’s a real man,” Dricus Du Plessis’ sly dig at Israel Adesanya while claiming Sean Strickland is a tougher opponent

Dricus Du Plessis takes a dig at Israel Adesanya while praising Sean Strickland (Image via Imago)

UFC 297 will headline the middleweight title clash. It will feature Sean Strickland defending his title against Dricus Du Plessis in a highly anticipated event.

Various UFC fighters have shared predictions for the bout. However, Du Plessis was smart enough to credit Sean Strickland in one of his latest interviews. Talking to Submission Radio he said: 

Cause here's one thing I have to give kudos to Sean Strickland the man is not scared. He's a real man. He is a man who goes out there and he wants to fight.
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Du Plessis went on to expand on his statement and admire Sean Strickland’s prowess. This could have been a slight dig at former champion Israel Adesanya who shares a strong rivalry with Du Plessis. Sean Strickland defeated Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 to become the middleweight champion.

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For this highly anticipated fight, Du Plessis expressed confidence that the bout would not go the distance. Notably, Du Plessis has never had a fight go the distance in his career. This shows his capabilities and style of finishing the fight quickly in the octagon. Du Plessis emphasized the aggressive nature of both fighters.

He expressed their willingness to stand and exchange blows in the octagon. This according to him would ensure that the fight does not go the distance. Sean Strickland holds a record of 28 wins and 5 losses. Meanwhile, Dricus Du Plessis boasts a record of 20 wins and 2 losses. It will be interesting to see both athletes clash inside the octagon.

Dricus Du Plessis is confident he will surpass Alex Pereira at UFC 297

Dricus Du Plessis asserted that he could outperform Alex Pereira in knocking out Sean Strickland. He is ready to secure a satisfying win against Strickland.

Alex Pereira Dricus Du Plessis
Dricus Du Plessis is confident he will surpass Alex Pereira ( Image via Imago )

Du Plessis was certain that if Pereira knocked Strickland out, he could do it even more effectively. During his interview with Submission Radio, he said:

I know I'm stronger physically and using that to my advantage, making sure I hit harder but making sure that every shot I throw lands... I need one shot. I need to land one shot. If  Pereira can knock him out I can knock him out even better.

Dricus Du Plessis is determined to secure a win against Strickland. He emphasized his belief in surpassing Pereira’s performance in the UFC. The middleweight title fight between Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland is set for UFC 297 in January 2024.

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