Du Plessis: Strickland beating Chimaev 'makes me world champion again'
Dricus Du Plessis couldn't contain his excitement when Khamzat Chimaev was dethroned at UFC 328. Chimaev (15-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) lost his middleweight title to Sean Strickland (31-7 MMA, 18-7 UFC) by split decision in Saturday's main event at Prudential Center in Newark, N. J.
Du Plessis (23-3 MMA, 9-1 UFC) beat Strickland twice in title fights before losing his belt to Chimaev in dominant fashion at UFC 319. He predicted that Strickland would upset Chimaev, and had a playful reaction to the outcome. "Fight went exactly the way I thought it would," Du Plessis told the UFC .
"Great, great fight by Strickland. Like I said, it's so hard to keep that man on the ground. He is incredibly tough to hold down, and he made Khamzat tired and that's exactly what happened.
I knew, and like I said in the standup, (Chimaev) just won't be able to hang with him. Congratulations. I guess this makes me world champion again.
" Du Plessis, who was in attendance for the fight, was seen celebrating once the scorecards were announced and Strickland's hand was raised. Nobody was happier than Dricus du Plessis after Sean Strickland won last night š https://t. co/1qfrUBThBa pic.