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It may be a new year, but you already know the violence inside the Octagon remains the same. Fight fans were treated to an instant classic in the first PPV main-event of 2024 live from The 6. A straight up barn-burner of a chess match electrified Toronto with Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis going full war mode for the UFC middleweight championship of the world. The fight saved what was a lackluster main-card & set a MAJOR bar for upcoming 2024 fights to match.
What a war it was between these two gladiators. A beautiful recipe of ingredients had been made that will make this epic clash a tough one to beat in the noise department come 11 months from now when we decide the Fight of the Year nod. Ingredients of pure defense, fight IQ, and relentless violence. A fight so good, and so close, that once again we were left with outrage, disagreements, and our jaws on the floor. Rather you agree with the judges' decision, or not, one thing we all can agree on is that this was a CLASSIC of a war. A war that had a new champion be crowned. A war that gave a nation promise and pure joy. South Africa... you now have a UFC Champion.
Dricus Du Plessis dethroned Sean Strickland to become the first ever South-African born fighter to accomplish UFC championship gold. The judges awarded Du Plessis the title in a split decision... here is the official scorecard (via UFC.com):
I happen to have agreed with Sal D'Amato... crazy I know! I had Strickland retaining his title 48-47 with winning the fifth and final round. Du Plessis gettin' the nod does not create any outrage, however, from my perspective. It was a damn close decision, and an unreal chess match in one of the higher competitive bouts we have seen since Volkanovski vs. Makhachev last February. Dricus showed a high fight IQ and an unreal level of heart as he flipped the switch to be the aggressor and the fighter moving forward into blitz against another dominant boxing performance by Strickland. DDP had an orchestrated game-plan and didn't get discouraged by Strickland's unreal defense and leg checking. DDP's ability to mix in the takedowns is what I presume to be the main factor in Cleary's and Colon's scorecards. It was a well calculated gameplan. A well calculated all-around gameplan.
DDP was outboxed, but landed some solid combos as he used a great deal of feints to set himself up against a stationary foe. The body kicks landed well as DDP nailed two significant shots on Strickland's rib/liver area. His performance was money as he moves to 7-0 in the UFC & extends his fight win streak to an overall nine in a row. Du Plessis is one driven and motivated individual. His work ethic has come full circle as he becomes the lone South-African rooted fighter to become a UFC Champion. Dricus was quite emotional after his epic feat, and shared a perfect quote on how he was feeling:
One of my favorite aspects of this sport, and all sports, is seeing a legend rise from a road of short-comings, failure, and poverty. Seeing an entire nation cheer and honor an athlete is another aspect that I completely adore. The rise of Du Plessis has delivered both those wonderful aspects. Checkout these AWESOME scenes from his supporters in South Africa
video via CrashMMA//X
I just love those scenes. Scenes that only sports and competition can create. I love seeing a nation come together in support for a competitor. It's really what gives sports the greatness that they have. Big congrats to Dricus Du Plessis on his epic win. He is a walking example that if you dream and work to the brink, then you can accomplish anything. Just need to set your mind and actions to it. Big-baller. We should also appreciate Strickland for being a classy competitor through defeat, even when he disagreed with the decision outcome:
Video via themmawiz//X
Now, allow me to explain my 48-47 Strickland. I have Strickland winning that war. DDP showed far more diversity in his game with the takedown attempts (key word attempts), and striking diversity. While Strickland stuck to his trademark boxing stance throwin' just a 1-2 with power button smash of a jab topped off with Mayweather type striking defense. Strickland had the same simple game-plan he had when he won the belt, and it's devastating. Like playin' a veteran in old school Fight Night. The cat is doing the same thing you can do, but is just better and more destructive. But I mean, just look at the results of pure simplicity:
The jab bullied DDP all fight and Sean landed some nuclear right hands to finish his combos. Shoutout to DDP on the real. He's an absolute juggernaut. A pure gladiator. Strickland mangled his face, though. That's the bottom line. Strickland out-landed Du Plessis 183 to 140 and had the advantage in significant strikes landing 173 to DDP's 137. Strickland also checked damn near all of Du Plessis' kicking strikes outside of the two majorly significant strikes landed on Strickland's torso/abdomen. DDP had no success going low; Strickland was phenomenal on the defensive.
The decision comes down to DDP's takedowns/activity to Strickland's defense and striking numbers. Damage is neutral when you compare DDP's swelling and Strickland's cut. Both so major you can't pick one or the other, in my opinion. Does DDP get the nod for the 6 takedowns to none plus damage delt? Does Sean get the nod for damage delt and all-around defense? It's a tough call, I dare say. I can respect those who raise their hand for DDP. I do. I just disagree with you. DDP's takedowns were non-advancing. Not one of them led to any damage or control time. All that did for me was feel awe in Strickland's defense as DDP is FAR more stronger than him. Strickland was so resilient. When I consider the takedowns not leading to anything destructive; I don't feel that stat to play high regard in the decision in this particular instance. I have Strickland winning and retaining the belt.
I can actually respect this decision despite me not agreeing. A change for once, as I have felt a train of the opposite in recent highly discussed decisions. The war marked the fourth straight UFC middleweight title fight in which the belt changed hands. Many people, including the new champ, call for a Nigerian versus South African battle next with Du Plessis defending his newly won crown against Israel Adesanya. I am not one of those people. I think we absolutely should run this fight back- Strickland vs. Du Plessis II has to be next. Throw that thang in South Africa and give those cats a better card to lead them into war. That's what I call for. That decision was too close, and too damn good to just put under a rug. Plus, why should Adesanya jump over the man, Strickland, who murked him into some Brett Favre emotions on the couch? I think the rematch should be next.
It will be interesting to see what route Dana, Hunter, Mick and Sean go with the middleweight belt. First lets allow these two warriors Strickland and Du Plessis some time to recover. They put it ALL on the line for our entertainment. That battle was brutally magnificent. A major bar has been set for the UFC roster to follow and attempt to surpass. What a way to kick-off the year, especially considering how awful that main-card was leadin' up to the middleweight war. I won't be surprised if we see either one of these cats return to the Octagon by the start of summer. They live for this. They live for war. Shoutout to both and big shoutout to the new middleweight champion; South Africa's own:
via Dricus Du Plessis personal Instagram
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