Dricus du Plessis touts former rival Sean Strickland to have ‘strong’ chance to dethrone Khamzat Chimaev

Dricus du Plessis believes his two-time rival Sean Strickland would present UFC middleweight champ Khamzat Chimaev with many problems.

Former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis was dethroned by Khamzat Chimaev in their middleweight title matchup last year at UFC 319. In one of the most highly anticipated showdowns in middleweight history, Chimaev wrestled his way to a dominant performance to win the 185 lb belt.

For the first time in years, Du Plessis is now back to being a contender as opposed to being considered the UFC middleweight division’s reigning titleholder. Before falling to Chimaev, Du Plessis earned two wins over Sean Strickland, including what would be his final successful title defense at UFC 312.

After earning a win over Anthony Hernandez last month at UFC Houston, Strickland is back in the middleweight title mix and could earn another title shot soon. If the UFC decides to go with Strickland for Chimaev’s first title defense, Du Plessis believes his two-time foe provides a tougher test than consensus No. 1 contender Nassourdine Imavov.

Dricus du Plessis says Sean Strickland ‘100 percent’ has best chance vs. Khamzat Chimaev

During an interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, Du Plessis was asked about Strickland having the best chances to dethrone Chimaev out of the top middleweights.

“100 percent,” Du Plessis said.

“I mean, did you see what Strickland did to Imavov? And that striking, of course, is the other thing. Strickland’s ability of when you take him down, his ability to get back up to his feet, he’s very good at that.

“When I fought him the second time, I knew he was really good at that [skill],” Du Plessis continued. “Strickland is a lot stronger than people think, and his technique to get back to his feet is very good.”

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