Dricus Du Plessis vs Sean Strickland — Fight recap

Dricus Du Plessis defeated Sean Strickland by unanimous decision over five rounds on February 8, 2025, with referee Marc Goddard officiating. Du Plessis landed 147 significant strikes at 46% accuracy across 314 total strikes, while Strickland countered with 128 significant strikes at 48% accuracy from 263 attempts.

The South African middleweight controlled the fight's grappling dimension, converting one of two takedown attempts and maintaining brief control time, while Strickland remained purely in a striking posture with zero takedown attempts. Du Plessis' leg strike volume—52 landed from 62 thrown—proved a crucial differentiator in wearing down his opponent across the full distance.

The decision solidifies Du Plessis' position in the middleweight title picture following a grueling five-round affair against a dangerous striker.