Former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis wasted no time reacting after Sean Strickland reclaimed the belt with a victory over Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328.
Du Plessis is thrilled with the result
The South African star had predicted Strickland’s style would eventually wear Chimaev down over five rounds. After the fight, he said the matchup unfolded exactly as he expected.
“Fight went exactly the way I thought it would,” du Plessis said after the UFC 328 main event ended.
“Great, great fight by Strickland. Like I said, it’s so hard to keep that man on the ground. He is incredibly tough to hold down.”
Du Plessis pointed to Chimaev slowing down as the key moment in the fight.
“He made Khamzat tired and that’s exactly what happened I knew and like I said in the standup [Khamzat] just won’t be able to hang with him.”
He then added one final line that quickly caught attention across the MMA world.
“Congratulations. I guess this makes me world champion again.”
Du Plessis back in the title picture
Strickland’s victory reshaped the middleweight division overnight. Du Plessis now finds himself back near the front of the title conversation after previously losing the belt to Chimaev earlier this year.
Before that defeat, du Plessis had beaten Strickland twice. He first captured the UFC middleweight title against him and later defended the belt in a rematch with another decisive performance.
That history gives du Plessis a strong argument if the UFC eventually looks toward a trilogy bout.
Video circulating online after the fight showed du Plessis celebrating during Strickland’s win. He applauded the performance and smiled while watching the closing moments of the championship fight.
Strickland mentions other contenders
Despite du Plessis’ position in the division, Strickland indicated after the fight that he may take time off following consecutive training camps for Chimaev and Anthony Hernandez.
Strickland also mentioned Nassourdine Imavov as a likely contender for the next title shot.
Even so, du Plessis remains firmly in the mix at 185 pounds. One more high-profile win could quickly push him into another championship opportunity against Strickland.