Dricus Du Plessis explains how Sean Strickland can beat Chimaev
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC Having fought both men, Dricus Du Plessis is confident that Sean Strickland will come out on top against Khamzat Chimaev. This Saturday’s UFC 328 main event between Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland has been billed as one of the sport’s biggest grudge matches since Khabib Nurmagomedov faced Conor McGregor. In the build-up to their clash, tensions have soared, forcing the UFC to put strict measures in place throughout fight week to prevent any incidents that could threaten the bout.
Du Plessis backs Strickland to cause an upset against Chimaev Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC Du Plessis has faced both men in the octagon, defeating Strickland twice before losing his title to Chimaev in a one-sided bout. Despite that, he still sees a path for Strickland to come out on top. While most fans aren’t giving Strickland much of a shot, Du Plessis thinks the former champion is being overlooked.
“The first round is gonna tell us so much about this fight,” Du Plessis told Fight Forecast. “I know Khamzat’s gonna get him down, I’ve taken Strickland down so many times, I know Khamzat’s gonna get him down but to keep him there, that’s gonna be the big question because Strickland’s ability to get up, he’s a strong guy, a lot stronger than Khamzat. “I think (Strickland) is gonna surprise people.
If Strickland gets up two or three times in that first round, it’s not gonna get any easier for Chimaev… Once Khamzat has to fight Strickland’s fight, I just don’t think (Chimaev) has a chance. ” Chimaev will likely look to take advantage of any openings on the ground. In over 12 years with the UFC, no one has seriously threatened Strickland with submissions.
But ‘Borz’ might see this as his opportunity to break new ground against him. But as Dricus said earlier in his interview, if Chimaev can hold Strickland down for an extended period of time in the opening five minutes and tire him out early like he did against Robert Whittaker and himself during their championship fight at UFC 297 earlier this year… It could end up being another long night for Sean. Read more: Khamzat Chimaev’s leaked sparring footage of Sean Strickland backfires Domino’s Pizza pokes fun at Tai Tuivasa after latest setback extends losing streak Islam Makhachev questions Jack Della Maddalena after defeat