Dricus du Plessis suggests Sean Strickland is dealing with staph infection ahead of UFC 312 title fight
Incumbent middleweight kingpin, Dricus du Plessis has speculated former champion, Sean Strickland is dealing with a staph infection on his left arm ahead of their title rematch this weekend, in the headliner of UFC 312 in Australia.
du Plessis, the current undisputed middleweight champion, will return this weekend ‘Downunder’ — attempting to successfully defend his title for the second time.
Most recently headlining UFC 305 last summer, South African star, du Plessis landed a stunning fourth round win over former champion and common-foe, Israel Adesanya with a face crank submission.
And winning the crown in January of last year in Canada, du Plessis managed to prevail in a controversial split decision win over then-champion, Strickland — ending the controversial striker’s title reign in his first defense.
Dricus du Plessis speculates Sean Strickland has a staph infection pre-UFC 312
However, ahead of their pairing — in which du Plessis boldly claimed he was both ready to “die” and then “kill” in this weekend at UFC 312, the former has speculated Strickland is dealing with a notable staph infection — after a picture emerged of a swelling near the challenger’s left tricep.
“What? he (Sean Strickland) grew taller and added staph infection to his arsenal… O sh*t!” Dricus du Plessis posted on his official Instagram Stories.
Laying out his plan to finish Strickland this weekend — after claims he won’t be able to do so likely with an accumulative damages approach, Pretoria champion, du Plessis claims he has just the plan in mind to stop the title challenger.
“Last time, I couldn’t keep him on the ground,” Dricus du Plessis told assembled media. “If I get him to the ground, can I keep him there this time?”
“And if not, just with my striking being better—catching him more often from the beginning of the fight rather than waiting. You know, missing a lot of shots because he’s defensively a very, very good fighter.”
“So just landing a shot here and there is not necessarily going to help me get that finish. I’m going to need to look for it and start pushing the pace early on, ’cause now I know I can do it for five rounds.”
