The UFC announced over the weekend its next trip to Australia will be headlined by a middleweight title rematch even though the reigning champion says he would’ve preferred a meeting with a new challenger instead.
South Africa’s Dricus Du Plessis became the 185-pound champion when he got the split decision nod over American Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 297 in Toronto this past January.
The pair will meet on neutral ground for a second time at UFC 312 on Feb. 8 at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena even though Du Plessis’s first choice would’ve been to defend his belt against undefeated Khamzat Chimaev.
“Just for clarification I preferred the Khamzat fight but the rematch is a fight most wanted before Khamzat vs Withaker,” Du Plessis wrote on social media Tuesday. “I’m not unhappy with the UFC’s decision like I said I’ll fight the man fans think is the next best guy he was promised the fight so Strickland it is.”
Strickland rebounded from his close five-round loss to Du Plessis 11 months ago with a convincing five-round win over Paolo Costa at UFC 302 in June, after which UFC president Dana White confirmed Strickland would be next in line for a shot at the title.
Du Plessis submitted former longtime champion Israel Adesanya in the UFC 305 headliner in August for his first defence.
Chimaev returned to the cage in October for the first time in a year and made quick work of Robert Whittaker, another former champion in the weight class.
After the dominant performance from Chimaev that resulted in Whittaker getting injured, many including Du Plessis thought the 14-0 Chimaev might skip the line and leapfrog Strickland in the pecking order.
Strickland, who previously ended Adesanya’s second title reign, is officially ranked as the No. 1 contender while Chimaev sits at No. 3 behind Adesanya.
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