Dricus Du Plessis reveals why Sean Strickland is hard to beat
· Yahoo Sports
Sean Strickland is a difficult puzzle to solve.
Despite not having the most technical striking, natural one-punch knockout power, or anything that truly astonishes inside the octagon, Strickland mixes it all together incredibly well. His awkward, high-volume, fast-paced style has left many unstuck when they stand across the cage from him.
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Beyond his ability to mix martial arts, the two-time and current UFC middleweight champion has qualities you can’t buy: heart and grit. Dricus Du Plessis recently sat down to reveal why Strickland thrives in the chaos.
“He’s always been a great wrestler,” Du Plessis said. “I took him down, I think, seven times. But to hold him down is very, very hard.”
Last time out, Sean Strickland managed to do the unthinkable: defeat Khamzat Chimaev. ‘Borz’ had been the UFC’s boogeyman for several years, showcasing an exhausting grappling game that often led to devastating finishes. But managing to weather the storm, Strickland secured a split decision win over the former champion.
Recounting the title fight headliner at UFC 328, Dricus Du Plessis detailed exactly how Strickland overwhelmed Chimaev, as he has done to many fighters before.
“That was going to be the question, especially with the Khamzat fight, which he answered. He is hard to hold down. He is very fit. He can always go five rounds. And he’s so good at dragging people into his style,” Du Plessis added.
“I think, when Khamzat couldn’t enforce his style, he had that first round. He got very tired ’cause he worked very hard because I think he thought, ‘I’m just going to go for it. When I have this guy’s back, I’m going to submit him.’ And Strickland is very good on the ground. Especially defensively. And I think that was the perfect plan. I think Strickland went out there and kept the pace on Khamzat. Even when Khamzat had him down, he didn’t try to defend; get him off his back. He kept on fighting, fighting, fighting. And when he started stopping Khamzat’s takedowns, Khamzat got tired, and he got forced to fight Strickland’s fight, and Strickland wins that every single time.”
Listen to Dricus Du Plessis’ comments on Sean Strickland and more below.