December 13, 2023 8:15 pm ET
UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland’s fight vs. Dricus Du Plessis is shaping up to be an action-packed battle for the ages.
Strickland (28-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC) makes his first title defense against Du Plessis (20-2 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in the UFC 297 main event Jan. 20 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
According to Eric Nicksick, pace will be the determining factor in this epic showdown. Du Plessis is known to fight with a crazy pace, but Nicksick expects Strickland to get into a flow state and overwhelm Du Plessis as the rounds go on.
“I think that’s when Sean’s really going to be able to take over. I expect it to be a barnburner. Both of these guys are right where they belong,” Nicksick told Inside Fighting.
Strickland claimed the middleweight title with a massive upset when he outstruck Israel Adesanya at UFC 293. Dethroning middleweight great Adesanya was against the odds, and Nicksick sees Du Plessis as the toughest challenge yet for one reason. “It’s going to be up to us to make sure we’re on our Ps and Qs and go out there and defend this belt,” he added.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 297.
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