Australia-based South African Dricus du Plessis retained his UFC middleweight title with a dominant unanimous points decision over bitter rival Sean Strickland in a punishing five-round contest in Sydney on Sunday, MySportDab Reports.
Judges scored it 50-45, 50-45, 49-46, improving Du Plessis’ record to 23-2 and further affirming his status as the top 185-pound fighter in mixed martial arts.
Du Plessis, South Africa’s first UFC champion, won the title for the first time in January 2024, defeating Strickland in a split decision in Toronto that he and many others deemed controversial.
Du Plessis worked his striking and tactical mastery in their rematch, overwhelming Till.
Right from the start of the fight, though, Du Plessis was in control, throwing several head kicks in the first round. Strickland hit back with tentative jabs but couldn’t find a rhythm.
By the second round, Du Plessis was drawing blood with crisp combinations, and the pace continued to soar as the fight went on.
The South African’s dominance was apparent in the fourth round when a summoned right hook left Strickland’s nose bloodied and nose on the cage. Head & Shoulders above hers: Despite a game performance from the American, Du Plessis finished the deal with with relentless pressure in the final round.
Du Plessis said, “I wanted a submission, I wanted a knockout, I wanted an absolute domination of a five-rounder. “That’s what I gave.”
On the main card in Sydney, meanwhile, China’s strawweight champion Zhang Weili successfully defended her title with a unanimous decision win over Tatiana Suarez. Zhang overwhelmed the previously unbeaten American to improve her record to 26-3.
In the heavyweight ranks, Brazil’s Tallison Teixeira moved to a perfect 8-0 with a sensational 35-second TKO of Justin Tafa, landing a nasty elbow to finish his opponent.
It was a night of high-stakes action, with champions sealing their legacies in emphatic style.
