Middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis earned a more convincing decision victory over Sean Strickland in their rematch tonight at UFC 312.
Round One
The headlining middleweight title rematch is underway in Sydney!
Body kick for du Plessis. Inside leg kick from Strickland. Front kick to the body from DDP. Solid jab for Strickland. High kick attempt from du Plessis. He fires off another kick. Now a low kick from him, but Strickland checks it.
Strickland with a solid jab. Low kick for DDP. Kick to the thigh this time from du Plessis. He pumps out his jab now. Crisp jab for Strickland. Body kick from DDP. Spinning back kick to the body from him misses.
Punch for Strickland a body kick in response from du Plessis. Stomp to the thigh from the champ. Body punch from Strickland. Spinning back kick to the body for DDP. Glancing left hand for him. Head kick attempt from du Plessis.
Body punch for Strickland. Now a jab to the head. Leg kick for du Plessis. Glancing right hand from DDP and then gets close with a left high kick.
Jab for Strickland, but DDP lands a nice counter off that. Low kick for du Plessis and then a flurry of straight punches.
Round Two
Strickland feeling out with teeps without landing. Low kick for DDP. A couple of teeps do land for Strickland now. Solid body kick for du Plessis.
Jab for DDP. Now a low kick. Body kick lands. Solid right hand for Strickland. Left hand for DDP and a grazing right from Strickland.
High body kick from DDP. He gets a jab through. Punches from du Plessis come up short and a jab lands solidly for Strickland.
Hook and uppercut from Strickland. Jab for du Plessis. Three-piece combo for Strickland. Left hand over the top from DDP. Solid inside leg kick from the champ. High kick from du Plessis grazes the target.
Spinning backfist from DDP after Strickland threw a teep. Right and a left hook from du Plessis. Body punch for Strickland. Jab lands for him. Leg kick for du Plessis. Another grazing high kick from DDP.
Overhand right for DDP. Now a body kick. One to the inside of the leg lands too. Strickland not landing with too much late in the round and du Plessis punches him to the body.
Round Three
Low kick and then a body kick from du Plessis. Grazing left hook for DDP. Another body kick from him. Solid combo for the champ. Strickland with a jab. Now he lands to the body and follows with punches upstairs.
Low kick for DDP. Now a body kick. Left hand for him too. Back to the body kick. Another one. Strickland gets through with a couple of punches.
Jab for Strickland and leg kick for DDP. Spinning backfist for the champ. jabs from the challenger. Body punch and kick from DDP. Right hand for Strickland. Solid straight punches for him.
Spinning elbow from DDP seemed to land, but Strickland wears it well. Jab for DDP. Now a left hand. Right hook from Strickland. He lands another. As Strickland looks to go again DDP drives in for his first takedown attempt. He only gets his rival to the mat for a split-second though. Strickland back up and lands a good punch late in the round.
Round Four
Body kick for DDP. Jab for the champ. Now a body kick again. Front kick now. Winging punches from DDP miss. Hard punch lands for DDP and Strickland is hurt, reaching for his nose which is now pouring with blood. He keeps pawing at his likely broken nose. DDP patiently stalks him.
DDP trying to pour on the pressure, but Strickland is staying fairly defensively sound. Left hand for Strickland. Now a right hand too.
Solid one-two for du Plessis. Lunging right hand. Hard right hand for Strickland. Spinning backfist from DDP just misses.
another one-two for DDP. Now a big right hand connects. Body kick for DDP. Jab for Strickland and a low kick. Body punch from du Plessis. Jab for Strickland.
Round Five
DDP stomps to the leg. Jabs for Strickland. Body kick from DDP. He lands a body punch too. Jab for Strickland. Low kicks from DDP.
Punch to the head for DDP. Now another low kick. Strickland pumps the jab and follows up with a right hand. Body punch for DDP.
Strickland lands a jab. Low kick for the champ. Spinning head kick misses from DDP, but then fires off a flurry of punches. In close Strickland thinks about a guillotine choke, but DDP backs off.
Body kick for DDP. More punches land to Strickland’s already bloodied nose. Jabs for Strickland. du Plessis connects with a head kick, but not hard enough to trouble Strickland. Body kick for the champ. Uppercut from Strickland.
Du Plessis thinks about a takedown, but Strickland gets his leg away. Right hand for Strickland.
Decision
Du Plessis was the busier fighter throughout and also broke Strickland’s nose in the fourth round, helping to cement his unanimous decision victory (50-45 x2, 49-46).
