The Ultimate Fighter: Du Plessis Dominates Strickland to Defend Middleweight Title

Brandon ‘The Sheriff’ Du Plessis retained his UFC middleweight title with a comprehensive victory over challenger Sean Strickland in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

The 31-year-old extended his impressive win-loss record to 23-2, firmly establishing himself as the premier 185-pound fighter in mixed martial arts today.

Du Plessis initially claimed the belt from Strickland in a closely contested split decision in their first meeting in Toronto in January of last year, which the polarizing American vehemently disputed.

Since then, the South African champion has successfully defended his title against the Nigeria-born contender, Israel Adesanya, in August, while Strickland rebounded with a tepid defeat of Brazil’s Paulo Costa, setting the stage for their highly anticipated rematch.

“Facing a formidable opponent like Strickland, attempting a knockout is next to impossible,” acknowledged Du Plessis, the first South African to hold a UFC championship belt. “I would’ve loved to continue exchanging blows, but the fight had to end.”

“I wanted to either submit him, knock him out, or dominate for all five rounds,” he added. “And that’s exactly what I did. I left everything in the Octagon.”

Unlike their first encounter, which was decided by a razor-thin margin, this time, Du Plessis left no doubt about his superiority.

He began the fight with a measured approach, utilizing his signature head kicks to great effect, landing four of them in the first round while Strickland could only respond with tentative jabs.

The champion increased the volume and pace of his strikes in the second round, delivering precise combinations to Strickland’s face, opening a cut and signaling the shift in momentum.

Strickland failed to find answers to Du Plessis’ onslaught, and the South African champion asserted his dominance in the fourth round, landing a huge right hook that caused Strickland’s nose to pour with blood, followed by another blow that rocked him onto the cage.

With Strickland visibly hampered by his injured nose, Du Plessis sought to finish the fight in the fifth and final round, relentlessly targeting it but unable to secure the knockout blow.

In a post-fight interview laden with profanities, Strickland conceded that his nose was broken, praising his opponent: “I popped it back in place and kept fighting… He beat me fair and square.”

The main card also featured a dominant title defense by Chinese strawweight queen Zhang Weili, who extended her reign with a unanimous decision victory over the previously unbeaten American challenger, Tatiana Suarez.

The ferocious Zhang, regarded as the best pound-for-pound women’s fighter, improved her record to 26-3, leaving Suarez with nasty cuts from the five-round battle.

In the heavyweight non-title bout, Brazil’s undefeated prospect, Tallison Teixeira, needed just 35 seconds to score a devastating knockout win over Justin Tafa, landing a massive elbow to the Australian’s nose and sending him crumbling to the canvas.

With another successful title defense, Du Plessis cements his legacy as one of the greatest middleweight champions in UFC history, and at 31 years old, he shows no signs of slowing down.

You may also like

Top 8 Best Nightlife Cities In The United States

Dance clubs, music, drinks, and fun activities, these cities in the United States come alive at night, with people hanging out and enjoying their time and dancing the night away.

A Luxurious Dream: The Most Expensive Hotels In The World

If you are looking for expensive and entirely different experiences of a luxurious life, these expensive hotels in the world will be your perfect choice if budget is not your problem.

Best Places To Go For A New Year’s Eve In The United States

New Year’s Eve is only several hours away, and it is time to pack your suitcase, plan your trip and enjoy your holiday at one of these best places to visit in your New Year vacation in the U.S.

Top gambling cities in the world

Casinos are a popular activity among holiday-goers all across the world. Excellent service, food and accommodation lure the more wealthy part of the population. But the thing that most people come to casinos for is the thrill of gambling. It’s hard to get such levels of adrenaline anywhere else.

International destinations pay for tourists amid Covid-19 pandemic lapse of time

After the Covid-19 epidemic, many tourist destinations around the world have taken steps to restart this smokeless industry. The process of stimulating the excitement of tourists, however, is not easy when travel restrictions seriously damaged the tourism industry.

The post The Ultimate Fighter: Du Plessis Dominates Strickland to Defend Middleweight Title appeared first on https://vietexplorer.com.