Sean Strickland faced Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297 for his first defense of the middleweight championship. The fight was a very close contest, with both fighters finding success in executing their game plans. Strickland struggled behind a jab with a strong start, but his opponent found success in the middle rounds with his takedowns and power punches. Du Plessis won the match via split decision and captured the title.
Dricus was unable to cause significant damage initially
In the first round, Sean adopted a strategy of fighting behind his jab and put pressure on Du Plessis. Despite his challenger attempting to close the gap, Strickland skillfully defended several leg kicks. While Du Plessis scored a successful takedown, he was unable to cause any significant damage to Sean. The champion secured the round with his superior striking success. Entering the second round, Strickland stuck to his strategy of using hard strikes, while Dricus responded with aggressive power punches. He avoided most of his opponent’s attacks and landed his jabs effectively.
Du Plessis gained the upper hand with his powerful overhand and scored another takedown on the champion. Although Strickland managed to stand again, Du Plessis kept up the pressure. This proved to be a better round for the South African fighter and he took it with full confidence.
The challenger forced the champ to fight defensively
Dricus kept up the pressure in the third round despite a swollen left eye. He successfully forced Strickland to fight defensively, constantly overpowering the champion. Strickland maintained accuracy with his jab, but “Stillknocks” showed no signs of slowing down. In a close encounter, Dricus emerged victorious, displaying his effective aggression and striking skills.
Dricus found success in striking
As the fourth round began, Strickland looked a bit more active than his opponent and found more success in striking. He effectively connected his powerful right hand during an exchange of heavy blows. Although Du Plessis managed to score another takedown, Strickland quickly got back to his feet. The South African continued to have significant striking success before executing another successful takedown. Strickland’s eye started bleeding heavily, while his opponent continued the aggressive pace.
Strickland took an aggressive approach in the last round
In the fifth and final round, Dricus was ahead on the scorecards and maintained that success till the end. Strickland took an aggressive approach, leading to an exchange of heavy punches between both fighters. Sean successfully defended two takedown attempts and used his power hands in an attempt to land a finish. Dricus finished the fight on a strong note, claiming the final round with his determination and powerful performance.
