Dricus du Plessis highlights the ‘big question’ of Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland after fighting both UFC stars

Former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis raised eyebrows with his fight week breakdown of Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland.

Former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis knows a lot about UFC 328 headliners Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland ahead of their grudge match. After Chimaev defeated Du Plessis to win the UFC middleweight title last year at UFC 319, he’ll face the former titleholder Strickland in one of the biggest fights of 2026.

While many are picking Chimaev to retain his title at UFC 328, many give Strickland a ‘puncher’s chance’ to hand Chimaev his first setback inside the Octagon. Chimaev’s grappling could get put to the ultimate test against Strickland’s solid takedown defense.

According to Du Plessis, if Strickland can survive the early storm, he has the strength and physical advantages to drown Chimaev and win their fight.

Dricus du Plessis: Sean Strickland ‘stronger, more physical’ than Khamzat Chimaev

In a recent interview with Fight Forecast, Du Plessis broke down the UFC 328 main event between two of his former rivals.

“The first round is going to tell us so much about this fight. Khamzat is going to get Sean down. I’ve taken Sean down so many times. But to keep him there? That’s going to be the big question,” Du Plessis said of Chimaev vs. Strickland.

“Because Strickland’s ability to get up, the technique he uses, the strength he has, is a lot stronger than Khamzat on a physical level. I think he’s going to surprise some people.

“If Strickland gets up 2, 3 times in the first round, it’s not going to get easier with the sweat and the fatigue…we’ve seen Strickland’s cardio, and once Khamzat has to fight Strickland’s fight, I don’t think he has much of a chance. Khamzat throws hard and kicks hard, but not scary hard, and he’s a bit predictable. You can see the shots coming.”

Du Plessis isn’t the only notable UFC personality to give Strickland a legitimate chance to pull off the upset at UFC 328. Longtime UFC commentator Joe Rogan believes Strickland could dethrone Chimaev after watching his recent wins over Anthony Hernandez, Israel Adesanya, and Paulo Costa.

What is your prediction for Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!