Sean Strickland challenged Dricus du Plessis to a stand-up only fight at UFC 312, but du Plessis declined, emphasizing there are no agreements limiting fighting styles.
Sean Strickland’s got a message for Dricus du Plessis ahead of their UFC 312 rematch. He doesn’t want any mixing of martial arts this time around.
The former champ took to social media, challenging the current middleweight king. Strickland’s request? Keep it strictly standup—no grappling allowed. Funny enough, their last fight at UFC 297 was mostly on the feet anyway.
Still, Strickland felt the need to lay down his demands. See for yourself below.
Sean Strickland wants to make a stand and bang pact with DDP. No takedowns. No grappling. Just striking.
Collection goes live tomorrow.
— Full Violence ™ (@Full_Violence)
“I’m going to need you to be a f*cking man,” Strickland declared. “Stand up, don’t drop to your knees, and let’s strike like men. Sure, you love wrestling and choking people out… but let’s make a pact. Stand up like f*cking men and settle this shit.”
Their first encounter saw du Plessis edge out Strickland in a split decision. Known for his grappling prowess, du Plessis has overwhelmed opponents before, even submitting Israel Adesanya recently.
Du Plessis wasn’t having it though. He quickly dismissed Strickland’s proposal on social media.
“There are no pacts between lions and men,” he tweeted back.
As they gear up for their rematch on February 8 in Sydney, du Plessis eyes another title defense. Meanwhile, Strickland is hungry to reclaim his throne after a solid win over Paulo Costa.