Sean Strickland’s Coach Drops Bombshell DM From Dricus du Plessis Before UFC Title Rematch

Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland is on a second collision course with Dricus du Plessis, as the current titleholder seemed to confirm in a recent text.

Du Plessis captured the UFC middleweight title by defeating Strickland in an instant classic at UFC 297. It was a back-and-forth war from start to finish, and du Plessis walked away with the split decision victory.

After defending the belt against Israel Adesanya at UFC 305, du Plessis will likely face Strickland for his second title defense. Strickland got back on track with a largely-dominant win over Paulo Costa in June.

While the first buildup to du Plessis vs. Strickland got personal, things might take a more respectful turn this time around.

Coach Eric Nicksick shares text from Dricus du Plessis ahead of Sean Strickland rematch

In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, coach Eric Nicksick revealed a classy message from du Plessis ahead of the Strickland run-back.

“It’s hard to emulate what Dricus does because he’s very unorthodox but knows what he’s doing in his own style. There are so many things that we didn’t do right [at UFC 297]… I’m looking forward to this matchup again, Dricus wrote [to] me a couple of days ago, he’s like, ‘Yo, I’m excited to go against you again bro,'” Nicksick said of the Du Plessis vs. Strickland rematch. “I have all the love and respect for Dricus and his team, but this is our job.” (h/t SportsKeeda)

Du Plessis is undefeated in his UFC tenure with wins against the likes of Robert Whittaker, Derek Brunson, and Darren Till. He’s emerged as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world despite an unorthodox style.

Du Plessis vs. Strickland 2 could kick off the 2025 UFC slate almost a full year after their first fight. In the meantime, both sides seem transfixed on their rematch ahead of a likely announcement.