Dricus Du Plessis believes that the winner of his upcoming bout deserves to fight Sean Strickland next for the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight title.
The South African is set to face fellow former champion Kamaru Usman in the main event of UFC Oklahoma City on July 18. With both fighters gunning for another outing against current champ Strickland, du Plessis has laid out his case for a title shot.
Dricus Du Plessis explains his path back to Sean Strickland
Ahead of his fight with Usman, du Plessis discussed the title picture at middleweight. When asked whether the winner of his next bout should fight for the belt next, “Stillknocks” replied in the affirmative, citing how he already has two wins over Strickland.
“Absolutely, because I have defended my belt against two of the best fighters in the world, the current champion being one of them,” du Plessis said in a recent interview.
However, a win might not be enough, as du Plessis added that the manner of the victory could also determine who fights for the championship.
“And I don’t think it’s about the fight,” he added. “It’s about the performance between myself and Usman. Both of us are putting our hands out for that title shot and deservedly so. It will all come down to the winner and the fashion that you do this.”
While du Plessis is coming off a one-sided decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev, which saw him lose his title, he’s eager to fight Strickland a third time. Usman also holds a win over the current 185-pound king, having defeated him when they were up-and-coming welterweights nearly a decade ago. Furthermore, Chimaev and top-ranked contender Nassourdine Imavov are also in the mix, two fighters who’ve already lost to Strickland.
