Sean Strickland vs. Dricus Du Plessis – Fight Preview & Analysis

UFC 297: Strickland vs. Du Plessis is scheduled to take place on Saturday, January 20, 2024, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In this matchup on the fight card, Sean Strickland will take on Dricus “Stillknocks” Du Plessis in the Middleweight bout. You can view the complete UFC 297 card.

Strickland brings a unique orthodox fighting stance with an 76″ reach. In contrast, Du Plessis, an switch fighter, stands with a 76″ reach. These variations in their styles can have a significant impact inside the Octagon.

With a 41% striking accuracy, Strickland has shown his precision in landing significant strikes, averaging around 5.82 per minute. On the other hand, Du Plessis boasts a 55% striking accuracy, landing approximately 6.95 significant strikes per minute.

In this post, we will break down Sean Strickland vs. Dricus Du Plessis matchup. Let’s take a look at the fighter’s ages, their height, records, reach, fight stats, and more below ⤵

The 33-year-old, Sean Strickland is coming in with a 28-5-0 record. Strickland will be fighting for the first time since a win via unanimous decision against Israel Adesanya at UFC 293: Adesanya vs. Strickland in September.

Du Plessis, meanwhile, is coming off a KO/TKO win against Sean Strickland on September 9, 2023, at UFC 290: Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez and holds a 20-2-0 record.

Sean Strickland has a orthodox fighting stance with an 76″ reach. The 30-year-old Dricus Du Plessis is an switch fighter with a 76″ reach. An orthodox fighter stands with their left side forward and jabs with their left hand. The southpaw fighter is the opposite. Southpaw stands with their right side forward and jabs with their right hand. In most cases, orthodox fighters are right-handed; if you are left-handed, you fight southpaw.

Sean Strickland stats

→ Strickland’s striking accuracy is 41%.
→ Strickland lands 5.82 significant strikes per minute.
→ Strickland’s takedown accuracy is 64%.
→ Strickland’s takedown average is 0.92 per 15 minutes.
→ Strickland’s takedown defense is 84%.

Strickland comes in with 41% striking accuracy, typically landing about 5.82 significant strikes every minute. Conversely, Du Plessis fires at 55% accuracy, landing about 6.95 significant strikes per minute. Sean Strickland also has a 64% takedown accuracy and, on average, gets around 0.92 takedowns every 15 minutes, compared to Du Plessis’s 2.72 takedowns and 40% takedown accuracy.

Dricus Du Plessis stats

→ Du Plessis’s striking accuracy is 55%.
→ Du Plessis lands 6.95 significant strikes per minute.
→ Du Plessis’s takedown accuracy is 50%.
→ Du Plessis’s takedown average is 2.72 per 15 minutes.
→ Du Plessis’s takedown defense is 40%.

Dricus spent, on average, 9:11 minutes in the Octagon, and Sean has an average fight time of 14:43 minutes.

Considering their records, fighting styles, and recent performances, this matchup looks to be an entertaining clash of skills and strategies. Who will come out victorious, Sean or Dricus? Sound off in the comments.

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