All Article Properties:
{
"access_control": false,
"status": "publish",
"objectType": "Article",
"id": "2500300",
"signature": "Article:2500300",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-12-09-south-african-champion-dricus-du-plessis-eyes-victory-in-rematch-with-sean-strickland/",
"shorturl": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2500300",
"slug": "south-african-champion-dricus-du-plessis-eyes-victory-in-rematch-with-sean-strickland",
"contentType": {
"id": "1",
"name": "Article",
"slug": "article"
},
"views": 0,
"comments": 0,
"preview_limit": null,
"excludedFromGoogleSearchEngine": 0,
"title": "South African champion Dricus du Plessis eyes victory in rematch with Sean Strickland",
"firstPublished": "2024-12-09 15:09:38",
"lastUpdate": "2024-12-09 15:09:43",
"categories": [
{
"id": "29",
"name": "South Africa",
"signature": "Category:29",
"slug": "south-africa",
"typeId": {
"typeId": "1",
"name": "Daily Maverick",
"slug": "",
"includeInIssue": "0",
"shortened_domain": "",
"stylesheetClass": "",
"domain": "staging.dailymaverick.co.za",
"articleUrlPrefix": "",
"access_groups": "[]",
"locale": "",
"preview_limit": null
},
"parentId": null,
"parent": [],
"image": "",
"cover": "",
"logo": "",
"paid": "0",
"objectType": "Category",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/category/south-africa/",
"cssCode": "",
"template": "default",
"tagline": "",
"link_param": null,
"description": "Daily Maverick is an independent online news publication and weekly print newspaper in South Africa.\r\n\r\nIt is known for breaking some of the defining stories of South Africa in the past decade, including the Marikana Massacre, in which the South African Police Service killed 34 miners in August 2012.\r\n\r\nIt also investigated the Gupta Leaks, which won the 2019 Global Shining Light Award.\r\n\r\nThat investigation was credited with exposing the Indian-born Gupta family and former President Jacob Zuma for their role in the systemic political corruption referred to as state capture.\r\n\r\nIn 2018, co-founder and editor-in-chief Branislav ‘Branko’ Brkic was awarded the country’s prestigious Nat Nakasa Award, recognised for initiating the investigative collaboration after receiving the hard drive that included the email tranche.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, co-founder and CEO Styli Charalambous also received the award.\r\n\r\nDaily Maverick covers the latest political and news developments in South Africa with breaking news updates, analysis, opinions and more.",
"metaDescription": "",
"order": "0",
"pageId": null,
"articlesCount": null,
"allowComments": "1",
"accessType": "freecount",
"status": "1",
"children": [],
"cached": true
},
{
"id": "30",
"name": "Sport",
"signature": "Category:30",
"slug": "sport",
"typeId": {
"typeId": "1",
"name": "Daily Maverick",
"slug": "",
"includeInIssue": "0",
"shortened_domain": "",
"stylesheetClass": "",
"domain": "staging.dailymaverick.co.za",
"articleUrlPrefix": "",
"access_groups": "[]",
"locale": "",
"preview_limit": null
},
"parentId": null,
"parent": [],
"image": "",
"cover": "",
"logo": "",
"paid": "0",
"objectType": "Category",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/category/sport/",
"cssCode": "",
"template": "default",
"tagline": "",
"link_param": null,
"description": "",
"metaDescription": "",
"order": "0",
"pageId": null,
"articlesCount": null,
"allowComments": "1",
"accessType": "freecount",
"status": "1",
"children": [],
"cached": true
}
],
"content_length": 3043,
"contents": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Africa’s Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis will defend his title against the man he took it from, America’s Sean Strickland, at UFC 312 in Australia on 9 February 2025.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The upcoming bout was announced on Saturday during the broadcast of UFC 310 where Alexandre Pantoja defended his flyweight belt against Kai Asakura, while in the co-main event, Shavkat Rakhmonov defeated Ian Machado Garry in the welterweight division.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Du Plessis’ meeting with Strickland will be his second attempt at a title defence after overcoming former king of the middleweight division Israel Adesanya by submission at UFC 305 in August earlier this year.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That fight was also in Australia, at the RAC Arena in Perth, while this one against Strickland will take place at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Africa, and Africa by extension, continues to wait for the first-ever UFC event to be hosted in the country, with president of the federation Dana White continually teasing the idea with very little follow-through thus far.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has also said that hosting a UFC event was on the horizon for South Africa. How close that horizon is remains to be seen.</span>\r\n<h4><b>A tough task</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strickland can count himself fortunate to be the next person in line for a title shot against Du Plessis after Russia’s Khamzat Chimaev made a massive impression against Robert Whittaker.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chimaev brutalised the Kiwi, breaking his jaw in a first round submission at UFC 308. Chimaev has a 14-0 mixed martial arts record but is still behind both Strickland and Adesanya in the official UFC rankings.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strickland, meanwhile, earned his rematch by way of a tight Decision victory over Paulo Costa at UFC 302.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2499931\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1940927584.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1765\" height=\"1135\" /> <em>Sean Strickland tries in vain to defend his title against Dricus du Plessis at Scotiabank Arena on 20 January 2024. (Photo: Vaughn Ridley / Getty Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2317878\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/GettyImages-1941060047.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1784\" height=\"1102\" /> <em>Dricus du Plessis lands a punch on Sean Strickland during the UFC 297 event at Scotiabank Arena. (Photo: Vaughn Ridley / Getty Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On paper Chimaev looks a much harder opponent, but the fact that Strickland’s title defeat to Du Plessis came by Decision — at UFC 297 in January — perhaps influenced the decision to allow the former champion another title shot.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Time to bring some Violence and Freedom to Australia once more! Deny Depose Defend. No idea where this saying is from or who said it but I like. Real catchy….. but no idea,” Strickland took to social media to say after the announcement of his fight against Du Plessis.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Given Du Plessis’ consistent improvement from fight to fight in the UFC’s octagon, the champion should defeat Strickland comfortably. However, nothing is ever a foregone conclusion in mixed martial arts.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Du Plessis will look to extend his undefeated winning streak in the UFC to eight fights in his rematch with Strickland.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Along with the title rematch, Zhang Weili will defend the Women’s Strawweight title against the undefeated Tatiana Suarez in the co-main event at UFC 312. </span><b>DM</b>",
"teaser": "South African champion Dricus du Plessis eyes victory in rematch with Sean Strickland",
"externalUrl": "",
"sponsor": null,
"authors": [
{
"id": "245916",
"name": "Keanan Hemmonsbey",
"image": "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/IMG-20230509-WA0020-copy.jpg",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/author/keanan-hemmonsbey/",
"editorialName": "keanan-hemmonsbey",
"department": "",
"name_latin": ""
}
],
"description": "",
"keywords": [
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "5500",
"name": "Australia",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/australia/",
"slug": "australia",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "Australia",
"translations": null
}
},
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "15759",
"name": "Sydney",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/sydney/",
"slug": "sydney",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "Sydney",
"translations": null
}
},
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "57463",
"name": "Gayton McKenzie",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/gayton-mckenzie/",
"slug": "gayton-mckenzie",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "Gayton McKenzie",
"translations": null
}
},
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "103502",
"name": "MMA",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/mma/",
"slug": "mma",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "MMA",
"translations": null
}
},
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "379006",
"name": "Dricus du Plessis",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/dricus-du-plessis/",
"slug": "dricus-du-plessis",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "Dricus du Plessis",
"translations": null
}
},
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "385370",
"name": "Keanan Hemmonsbey",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/keanan-hemmonsbey/",
"slug": "keanan-hemmonsbey",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "Keanan Hemmonsbey",
"translations": null
}
},
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "413882",
"name": "Sean Strickland",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/sean-strickland/",
"slug": "sean-strickland",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "Sean Strickland",
"translations": null
}
},
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "427852",
"name": "UFC 312",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/ufc-312/",
"slug": "ufc-312",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "UFC 312",
"translations": null
}
},
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "427853",
"name": "Qudos Bank Arena",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/qudos-bank-arena/",
"slug": "qudos-bank-arena",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "Qudos Bank Arena",
"translations": null
}
}
],
"short_summary": null,
"source": null,
"related": [],
"options": [],
"attachments": [
{
"id": "79102",
"name": " Sean Strickland of the United States fights against Dricus Du Plessis of South Africa in a middleweight title bout during the UFC 297 event at Scotiabank Arena on January 20, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)",
"description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Africa’s Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis will defend his title against the man he took it from, America’s Sean Strickland, at UFC 312 in Australia on 9 February 2025.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The upcoming bout was announced on Saturday during the broadcast of UFC 310 where Alexandre Pantoja defended his flyweight belt against Kai Asakura, while in the co-main event, Shavkat Rakhmonov defeated Ian Machado Garry in the welterweight division.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Du Plessis’ meeting with Strickland will be his second attempt at a title defence after overcoming former king of the middleweight division Israel Adesanya by submission at UFC 305 in August earlier this year.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That fight was also in Australia, at the RAC Arena in Perth, while this one against Strickland will take place at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Africa, and Africa by extension, continues to wait for the first-ever UFC event to be hosted in the country, with president of the federation Dana White continually teasing the idea with very little follow-through thus far.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has also said that hosting a UFC event was on the horizon for South Africa. How close that horizon is remains to be seen.</span>\r\n<h4><b>A tough task</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strickland can count himself fortunate to be the next person in line for a title shot against Du Plessis after Russia’s Khamzat Chimaev made a massive impression against Robert Whittaker.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chimaev brutalised the Kiwi, breaking his jaw in a first round submission at UFC 308. Chimaev has a 14-0 mixed martial arts record but is still behind both Strickland and Adesanya in the official UFC rankings.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strickland, meanwhile, earned his rematch by way of a tight Decision victory over Paulo Costa at UFC 302.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2499931\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1765\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2499931\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1940927584.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1765\" height=\"1135\" /> <em>Sean Strickland tries in vain to defend his title against Dricus du Plessis at Scotiabank Arena on 20 January 2024. (Photo: Vaughn Ridley / Getty Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2317878\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1784\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2317878\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/GettyImages-1941060047.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1784\" height=\"1102\" /> <em>Dricus du Plessis lands a punch on Sean Strickland during the UFC 297 event at Scotiabank Arena. (Photo: Vaughn Ridley / Getty Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On paper Chimaev looks a much harder opponent, but the fact that Strickland’s title defeat to Du Plessis came by Decision — at UFC 297 in January — perhaps influenced the decision to allow the former champion another title shot.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Time to bring some Violence and Freedom to Australia once more! Deny Depose Defend. No idea where this saying is from or who said it but I like. Real catchy….. but no idea,” Strickland took to social media to say after the announcement of his fight against Du Plessis.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Given Du Plessis’ consistent improvement from fight to fight in the UFC’s octagon, the champion should defeat Strickland comfortably. However, nothing is ever a foregone conclusion in mixed martial arts.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Du Plessis will look to extend his undefeated winning streak in the UFC to eight fights in his rematch with Strickland.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Along with the title rematch, Zhang Weili will defend the Women’s Strawweight title against the undefeated Tatiana Suarez in the co-main event at UFC 312. </span><b>DM</b>",
"focal": "50% 50%",
"width": 0,
"height": 0,
"url": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1941059672-1.jpg",
"transforms": [
{
"x": "200",
"y": "100",
"url": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/JjzwP4zNxYxxR8e84CDByJUmaPU=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1941059672-1.jpg"
},
{
"x": "450",
"y": "0",
"url": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/QYaPlkAyenVTVq1UEgxNGbqviXQ=/450x0/smart/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1941059672-1.jpg"
},
{
"x": "800",
"y": "0",
"url": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/pfkFGGcnmm0a_9NmyYvhppI6elk=/800x0/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1941059672-1.jpg"
},
{
"x": "1200",
"y": "0",
"url": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/KgzTI_Q57ALp20lvAOrlIQB49xM=/1200x0/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1941059672-1.jpg"
},
{
"x": "1600",
"y": "0",
"url": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/jU_ScStPHtXIP595EvS-qUkiqj4=/1600x0/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1941059672-1.jpg"
}
],
"url_thumbnail": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/JjzwP4zNxYxxR8e84CDByJUmaPU=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1941059672-1.jpg",
"url_medium": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/QYaPlkAyenVTVq1UEgxNGbqviXQ=/450x0/smart/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1941059672-1.jpg",
"url_large": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/pfkFGGcnmm0a_9NmyYvhppI6elk=/800x0/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1941059672-1.jpg",
"url_xl": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/KgzTI_Q57ALp20lvAOrlIQB49xM=/1200x0/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1941059672-1.jpg",
"url_xxl": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/jU_ScStPHtXIP595EvS-qUkiqj4=/1600x0/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GettyImages-1941059672-1.jpg",
"type": "image"
}
],
"summary": "South African UFC champion Dricus du Plessis will look to hold on to his belt against the man he took it from when the two fighters meet in February.",
"template_type": null,
"dm_custom_section_label": null,
"elements": [],
"seo": {
"search_title": "South African champion Dricus du Plessis eyes victory in rematch with Sean Strickland",
"search_description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Africa’s Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis will defend his title against the man he took it from, America’s Sean Strick",
"social_title": "South African champion Dricus du Plessis eyes victory in rematch with Sean Strickland",
"social_description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Africa’s Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis will defend his title against the man he took it from, America’s Sean Strick",
"social_image": ""
},
"cached": true,
"access_allowed": true
} 
Sean Strickland tries in vain to defend his title against Dricus du Plessis at Scotiabank Arena on 20 January 2024. (Photo: Vaughn Ridley / Getty Images)
Dricus du Plessis lands a punch on Sean Strickland during the UFC 297 event at Scotiabank Arena. (Photo: Vaughn Ridley / Getty Images)