Dricus Du Plessis has publicly dismissed the idea of a rematch between Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev, labeling the discussions "ridiculous." The middleweight champion made his feelings clear on the matter.
Middleweight champion Sean Strickland's title reign is already generating contender controversy, and current number-two-ranked challenger Dricus Du Plessis is making his frustration known. The South African fighter publicly called discussions about a rematch between Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev "ridiculous," injecting himself forcefully into the division's title picture on July 15.
Strickland, 35, holds the middleweight belt with a professional record of 31-7-0. Fighting out of Xtreme Couture, the American orthodox striker is one of the busiest volume punchers in the division, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute. He and Du Plessis share identical frames — both stand six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach — making any potential matchup between them a closely contested stylistic mirror.
Du Plessis, ranked second in the division and seventh pound-for-pound, carries a 23-3-0 record and brings a switch-stance, well-rounded game backed by 5.18 significant strikes landed per minute and 2.22 takedowns per 15 minutes. The 32-year-old South African has a legitimate claim to a title shot and appears unwilling to watch another contender leapfrog the queue.
That contender is Chimaev, ranked first in the middleweight division and tenth pound-for-pound. The 32-year-old fighting out of the UAE owns a 15-1-0 record and leads the division's contenders in wrestling pressure, averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes with a striking accuracy of 60 percent. A rematch with Strickland would carry serious weight given those credentials.
Why it matters
- Du Plessis sits at number two but risks being bypassed if a Strickland-Chimaev rematch is booked
- Chimaev at number one holds the stronger divisional ranking, fueling the queue dispute
- A three-way logjam at the top of middleweight leaves the title picture genuinely unsettled
