Du Plessis Reacts to Strickland Victory

Du Plessis Reacts to Strickland Victory

Dricus du Plessis, a former UFC champion, declared himself the "world champion again" on Saturday, May 10, 2026, following Sean Strickland's victory over Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328 in Newark's Prudential Center. Strickland's win means the middleweight title is now held by a fighter whom Du Plessis has defeated twice previously.

Strickland defeated Chimaev over five rounds, a feat no previous opponent of Chimaev had accomplished. Du Plessis had previously lost his middleweight title to Chimaev at UFC 319 in August 2025, where Chimaev accumulated over 20 minutes of control time.

Prior to that, Du Plessis had secured two victories against Strickland: a split decision win at UFC 297 in early 2024 to claim the championship, and a more decisive outpointing at UFC 312 in February 2025.

Du Plessis, who has not competed since his loss to Chimaev, stated in a backstage video for the UFC that the fight unfolded as he anticipated. He praised Strickland's toughness and ability to tire Chimaev, noting that Chimaev could not match Strickland in stand-up exchanges.

Du Plessis is reportedly considering a return to the octagon, with potential matchups including welterweight veteran Kamaru Usman, before re-entering the title picture where Strickland is expected to defend his belt against Nassourdine Imavov later this year.