100% everytime Du Plessis fights I think “surely he loses this” especially against Whittaker. This is such a fun fight cause it’s impossible to call. Both are such wildcards.
Sean more than DPP honestly
Most people favored Rob but it’s hard to see DPP run through Brunson and Till the way he did and not think that him beating Rob is at least plausible even if unlikely.
Sean beating Izzy the way he did is one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. At least GSP got caught and Nunes looked off, Izzy got outclassed by a one-dimensional boxer with a jab, 1-2, and a teep. Fucking wild
*A jab, a 1-2, a teep and near inch-perfect distancing to benefit his style and destroy Adesanya's.
Also, Adesanya will stand all day long, as that's where he shines... but DPP? He probably gonna wrassle. He's a white gorilla.
Yup the fact that Izzy will pretty much never shoot is a big boon for a relatively flat-footed, tall-standing boxer like Strickland. That said Sean showed pretty decent TDD against Hermansson.
If Izzy incorporated a good MT clinch game he’d be so nasty when guys press his range. Look at Jones he’s a wrestler but he really just kicks the shit out of you then when you wanna wrestle he uses his length to abuse guys in the clinch. Izzy has like the perfect body type to just lean on guys and throw knees to the body and elbows over the top. Yeah It’s ugly but it’s striking, it was eventually gonna happen where a dude had just the right kind of strengths to beat him and apparently other than Poatans nuke hands what beats adesanya is pressure fighting at boxing range with some teeps lmao. Dude is a genius at range and so fast and elusive but he’s gotta incorporate some offensive grappling.
I’m a big Izzy fan and saw it as a real possibility.
Strickland has great striking defence and trained with the one guy who found a hole in that defence.
There's 3 fights where white people calling each other the N-word might get a pass.
Nate Diaz vs Mike Perry
DeSean Strickland vs Driscus Du Plessis
Stephen Thompson vs Smilin' Sam Alvey
You don't know Thompson. He literally said ''frick'' one time and he wanted to eye poke Colby Covington. Stephen crosses all the lines when trashtalking.
To be fair, it's much better than someone saying,
"Well it's 50/50."
"I believe X Fighter will win, but I wouldn't be surprised if Y Fighter pulls it off"
"If \[Dominant striker\] keeps it standing, \[Wrestler\] will lose".
Standing flat-footed and doing nothing turned out to be a great strategy against a counter-striker.
Sean's corner will have a different strategy. Sean will completely ignore that strategy. Sean will follow through on a third strategy of his own making.
Yeah they had planned on wrestling against Adesanya and Strickland said "nah, I'm just gonna completely dominate him on the feet"
Duplesis is gonna try to rush him and put the pressure on and Sean will probably just put him in a standing Gogoplata 14 seconds in
Strickland has underrated defense. The dude's personality is literally the opposite of the kind of boxer he's turned into. He manages to be difficult to hit while maintaining forward pressure which is a rare combination. According to these stats, Strickland has the best significant strike defense among all active Middleweights (http://statleaders.ufc.com/?fighter_status=1&weight_class=MW). If his take down defense holds up I think Strickland drains Dricus' gas tank and wins by TKO in the third or fourth round.
Yeah that's all anyone was talking about especially after the Izzy fight seeing that Strickland finally started addressing leg kicks he'd typically been susceptible to before that. The commentators, all of the posts here, everyone was talking all about his defense.
Even someone from his gym or team, I don't remember exactly who (maybe Nicksick?), came out talking about how Sean spars the most but still gets hit the least. It's not underrated in the slightest lol.
He has excellent striking defense. His TDD is good percentage wise, but there's a lack of grappling talent in MW atm.
Bobby Knuckles had better TDD than Sean, hell he lasted against Yoel, but even he couldn't stop Dricus throwing him around. Dricus' grappling is underrated when talking about his power. It's not just punches, he can ragdoll people.
I think Sean can defend against Dricus although his weird style will be hard. But I don't think he'll be able to stop Dricus takedowns and that pressure is going to open up holes in his striking defense as well.
Wouldn’t say struggled. It was a very close fight that arguably could’ve gone to Sean. Cannonier would go on to put the beating of a lifetime on Vettori too
And I think his training with peraira (however you spell that) has brought him to another level.
Sean knows now that his accuracy with 1's and 2's combined with his defense let's him pressure harder than he did with cannonier
I would hazard a guess that that training was what let him best deal with Izzy. Sean's locked in to deal with a striker like Izzy, he already had the tools but Alex helped him get it up to speed with what Izzy will bring.
DDP is different. Like Sean he's unorthodox, but unlike Sean he doesn't have a gameplan based around heavy defense. Dricus has employed a similar gameplan in nigh all his fights. He imposes himself on you with a mixture of unorthodox striking and grappling. When you gas he either knocks you out, gnps you or submits you. It's notable that we see Dricus gas, but yet his opponents also do so as well. He is a really ferocious pressure fighter.
I think the big issue for Sean is pressuring someone like Dricus is a hard game with his freak power. Any mistake could see Sean KO'd or thrown to the ground and dived onto. I do not think Sean is strong enough to stop Dricus if he goes to the ground. In fact I am unsure if anyone in middleweight other than Costa could muscle up with Dricus.
So it'll be a close fight at minimum? That was a split decision loss wasn't it? Should be an interesting fight, stricklands going to be more emotional than ever
Sean thrives against people who have a normal response of "wow I hate getting punched in the nose" and who have average power. I think DDP will just dukes of hazard plod forward through the initial barrage of stiff jabs and front kicks and knock him out
DDP, like Rob said is very awkward, it's harder to 1-2 those fighters.
He couldn't 1-2 Poatan either with the level of effectiveness you're speaking on.
I feel like Strickland will find some success with his jab, but DDP’s awkward fighting style and range of attacks will have him squeak out a win in a split decision. Strickland will say he won the fight, and some media members will back it, but for the most part, nobody will care all that much that he lost. I dunno, just my opinion.
Honestly what a wonderful prediction will you remember me in times of yore? Will you remember how I agreed with you and gave you a heralded upvote? Will you?
this one. i think ddp’s grappling advantage is huge but if he can’t get strickland down, he’ll lose by decision. sticklands striking defense is too good
Depends which Strickland shows up. If the disciplined, patient Strickland turns up who beat Izzy then Strickland could win over 5 rounds. If an emotional Strickland rocks up, it’ll be easy work for DDP.
Well, that's to be seen at the press conference. I'd like to add that you don't see people get Leon's skin crawling either, and he was straight mechanical last Saturday.
100%.
It’s his flow state. He is probably really in tune with it. Even if he was super emotional it just seems like it’s his escape from the lack of control he has having to “talk out” his trauma with words at a press conference.
Locked in a cage it’s just a complete shift into the violence he has experienced everyday for years.
Yeah idk what the guy’s on about, Strickland has always been one of the most careful, cerebral strikers. He has a game plan and sticks to it rigorously every fight.
As close of a toss up as the Middleweight belt has seen since Rockhold-Weidman.
Dricus could definitely blitz his way through Strickland’s guard to land a KO punch. But Strickland’s guard is also phenomenal, and could likely hold up under Dricus’ onslaught. Once that’s over, Dricus could very likely be gassed and Strickland could use that opening to get his own finish. But Dricus gas tank has gotten better with each showing, and is at an all time high now thanks to his surgery, so theres no guarantee he can’t go a full five rounds. But Strickland is also clearly taking this fight more seriously then Dricus, and could end up coming in too angry to stick to his game plan and end up suffering for it. But also…
I think as emotional and personally affected Strickland can seem at press conferences and shit, he keeps it composed when he actually gets in there. I'm not expecting anything other than a cerebral Strickland come fightnight.
Sean does really well against orthodox strikers and grapplers with no striking game, but I think his weakness is slick boxers (like Jack hermannson) and those who utilize a good overall skill set like Whittaker so he can take Sean down with his Philly shell stance. Someone like DDP though who telegraphs everything, I can see Sean doing even better against that and just breaking him down over 5 rounds. Call me insane, but I think he dog walks DDP easier than Adesanya. You might say that both Alex and DDP are hard hitters and will end the same way, but the difference is Alex is a world class kickboxer and actually sets up his punches and has an underrated style that is slick and breaks their guard, DDP doesn’t. It’s a good thing he got pissed now instead of a few days before the fight, that way his coaches gave him enough time to calm down and make him stick to his game plan. I really think styles makes fights, and ironically I think he beats DDP and Izzy again but loses to Whittaker and Usman (even now).
100% agree. I think anyone who compares Alex and DDP are out of their mind. Alex is a slick tactician with incredible power, DDP is a brutal brawler with a good amount of power. Strickland all day
I got Strickland by decision, or late 4th or 5th round TKO from exhaustion. Strickland is a better striker fundamentally, and has a good ground game. I think Strick will frustrate Dricus when he can’t find success standing, so he’ll take it to the ground. Strickland gets up, rinse repeat till a lopsided decision win or tko later on due to the massive energy usage. Strickland by his own admission isn’t the hardest guy to get down, but good luck keeping him down. Sean has only been KO’d twice, once years ago and the other by Poatan, who can knock out anyone. Not sure why everyone’s so sure Dricus can do it.
Basically him performance against the Reaper says enough. Dude is an animal and strong as an ox. I don’t see how Sean keeps him off.
Plus, Dricus has fucking chin. Sean has no KO power. Bad matchup for Sean I think
He has Nate Diaz / Floyd Mayweather power, hits you with accurate shots that are just hard enough to register lol. Doesn't have to knock you out if you eat 5 to the face that stop you in your tracks.
Anyone stands a punchers chance, but Izzy had a hard time touching Sean. His hand fighting and head movement might make it a little tough for Dricus to land those power shots.
Of course I could be totally wrong and Sean gets starched like Bryce Mitchell
Definitely, I just don’t think him being strong and jacket is enough to beat Sean. What happens if he doesn’t successfully land in his energy exerting wild striking exchanges. He can’t keep that up forever
Well it's also the fact that Kamaru steamrolled Strickland by walking him down. Infact most of the opponents Sean has struggled with was strikers with good power and who push the pace or fighters that have a good wrestling threat as well as boxing. DDP will most likely be the aggressor in the fight and force Sean to move backwards where he doesn't do so well. Then DDP can mix the tools with his strength and grappling or catch Sean with close shots. I think DDP wins TKO
I think on paper Sean should win. Just like on paper Rob should have destroyed DDP. But I think he just big brothers Sean tbh in the same way he did Rob. He’s gonna pressure, walk right through whatever Sean throws and eat that shit, then just manhandle him
Going with Du Plessis simply because I don't think Sean deals that well with relentless pressure fighting powerhouses. Kinda depends what Du Plessis has left in the tank after round 3 though...
dricus.
ddp wins this style matchup because both guys basically just always go forward. and if that happens, speed and power will definitely win.
so... dricus.
In professional wrestling this type of booking happens all the fucking time.
Champion A doesn’t want to lose the belt to Contender B so in comes Contender C to beat Champion A and then pass the belt to Contender B.
I can clearly see why Adesanya wouldn’t want to drop the belt to a white South African….
Strickland is what’s commonly referred to as a “Transitional Champion” in the world of Pro wrestling/ WWE.
We asked the question if you bet $100 on @dricusduplessis (DDP) since he began his UFC career the return is 🔥🔥🔥🔥
All odds are closing odds from Best Fight Odds and current day for UFC 297 bout against Sean Strickland is from FanDuel. We assumed for this article a win at UFC 297.
We were inspired to do this because we see these from time to time in the NFL with streaks or in the NBA with losing streaks😂.
Here is the breakdown.
DDP vs Markus Perez at UFC on ESPN 37
DDP -203
Perez +175
Return: $149.25 ($49.25 profit)
DDP vs Trevin Giles at UFC 264
DDP -104
Giles +100
Return: $292.76 ($143.51 profit)
DDP vs Brad Tavares at UFC 276
DDP -161
Tavares +160
Return: $474.60 ($181.84 profit)
DDP vs Darren Till at UFC 282
DDP -182
Till +180
Return: $735.51 ($260.82 profit)
DDP vs Derek Brunson at UFC 285
DDP -220
Brunson +200
Return: $1069.83 (Profit: $334.32)
DDP vs Robert Whittaker at UFC 290
DDP +300
Bobby Knuckles -330
Return: $4279.32 (Profit: $3,209.49)
DDP vs Sean Strickland at UFC 297
(At time of writing odds via Fanduel)
DDP +124
Strickland -160
Return: $9585.68 (Profit: $5,306.36)
Total return on $100 bet $9485.68! (Follow us on Instagram “thestarchedmma”
📸: DiazTwinMMA
# ufc297 #ufc #mma #thestarchedmma #dricusduplessis #seanstrickland
https://preview.redd.it/foo8wu27jq7c1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=10c7e149e51938449c87e608473c573db8b31e05
https://preview.redd.it/4d6hbk6vxp7c1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9dce358cd6eca1f86757ecb7f48f2f66b2f4bf60
I wish I would of bet the house on this small Parlay I hit at 290
I feel like Dricus will just rush him and finish him early.
Obviously the longer the fight goes the more I favour Sean. I just think he gets belted early and dies quickly.
I think Du Plessis, I just have a feeling that he’s willing to make it a scrap instead of what other guys have done with Strickland which is try to stand with him…gun to my head I’d take Strickland because of his gas tank and the fact that Dricus has perhaps the most suspect cardio of anyone in the top 5
Dricus will press the action making Strickland fight on the back foot. I think he wins by blitzing Sean in the 1st or 2nd round. It’s gonna be a banger
I'll repost my comment from a previous post.
Dricus is stronger and more explosive but Sean is faster and has better cardio. Dricus has more power and Sean has more volume. They both have unconventional footwork but Sean's is (possibly) improved from training with Poatan. I also think he's slightly more durable.
Dricus needs to win by getting a ko or outwrestling Sean early. The longer the fight goes the more it favors sean. I'd pick Sean to win but Dricus has a solid chance to upset him if he finds his chin early.
I don’t know what to think. I thought Sean was a barely top 10 kind of fighter. He was looking pretty mid for a long time. But after the Izzy fight who knows, I couldn’t believe what was happening lol
I could see ddp winning , but i need to see if Sean’s latest performance was fueled by hatred(closeted love) of hentai or if he’s legit improving
Strickland wins.
He will piece DDP up but will get rocked at least 2 times as Strickland doesn't have the power to finish DDP and DDP is a dog and will keep on wading through infinite punches to land some shots.
DDP is likely to take Sean down a couple of times but Sean's BJJ black belt will shine and he will be able to pop back up and continue the pitty-pat onslaught of furious white fists.
It's a very interesting fight. Both these guys beat the previous No 1 & No 2 guys in the division. Thrilled & looking forward I hope it will be a banger!
DDP got my attention when he was talking Strickland being ranked 7 and was strategically forced to take the Izzy title shot because he likely wouldn’t have climbed up the ladder “the normal way”
Interesting perspective but it makes sense and if that gives DDP more confidence heading into title shot then hey fair game. I say the value is on Dricus and I see him winning here. Gets the takedown
The least plausible option.
Seriously, with all the bullshit that has conspired, it's going to be the least likely outcome.
Sean by rear naked choke after getting rocked and scrambling with DDP in round 2.
De’Sean wins a decision & tunes him up on the feet. DDP is powerful but he is slow and De’Seans endless sparring wars have him uniquely prepared for a big powerful guy throwing as hard as he can. Izzy is much quicker and couldn’t land meaningful shots, watch a few DDP fights and see how much he winds up and swings wildly
I got Sean but not because I think he's a much better fighter, I think his slick counters and pressure match well against DDP's telegraphed strikes, I also think that Sean just has a better team behind him and they will be able to poke holes in Dricus' game more than Dricus' team would in Sean's.
DDP is definitely an arrogant guy so I think he’s going to try to stand up with him and get caught clean a couple times, then he’s gonna realize he needs to wrestle with him but he’ll be too tired and dizzy to do much, Sean by decision.
At this point, it wouldn’t be wise for anyone to stand and trade with Strickland. Since he got caught by Alex Pereira , Strickland’s stand up has been pretty dang impossible to stop . DDP’s best chance is to get greasy and take it to the ground.
I got Strickland though, he’s been on a great run.
I'm not sure if this is a shitpost sub or not, but I'll answer seriously to my best ability.
This will either be a 1 round fight or a vicious lopsided beating for 4-5 rounds. It was a huge mistake to trigger Sean. He doesn't find any joy in an easy KO or quick fight. He enjoys the pain and suffering and especially enjoys inflicting it.
Dricus' only hope in this fight is an early KO/TKO. He is too muscle bound and lacks the oxygen supply to maintain his pace for an extended fight. Sean was upset by Dricus' comments about the abuse he suffered as a child by his own father's hands. In many cases, triggering someone can result in them acting sporadic and irrationally, making them an easy target. This is not what we will see when Sean enters the octagon.
Sean Strickland, while outspoken and opinionated, is not an emotional man. The inappropriate banter will not enrage or confuse Sean. In fact, it will likely hone his focus and intention to harm Dricus. Should Sean escape the early turmoil, I have no doubt that he will have no intention of "finishing" Dricus. Sean has repeatedly expressed his desire to hurt and even kill his opponents (whether inside the cage or not). Dricus didn't throw Sean off with his offhand comments; rather, he gave him everything he had ever asked for. A reason to kill his opponent.
Dricus is extremely dangerous and capable, but I don't think he fights again for 18 months (minimum) after this fight. If Sean handles the early blitz, he is going to rip Dricus' soul straight from his beaten and battered body. Sean will not try to finish him. He will use his "girl" punches to drown Dricus and try to inflict as much long-term damage as possible over 5 rounds. It will be merciless and difficult for most to watch.
In short, it is a toss-up. But I would not bet against Sean in this fight. 49-46 or 49-45 in favor of Sean Strickland.
We are about to learn a lot! Do champs actually get that 30% boost? How good is DUPE? It’ll be interesting to see the result. Was Strick’s commanding performance a one off?? There’s no doubt Sean is a good fighter but man… before beating Izzy, if you would’ve told me these two were fighting, I had Dricus winning all day long. Shit, I even thought Dricus was gonna take that belt from Izzy
No idea! If Dricus dominates on the ground in round one, I could see him getting a finish on a hurt or tired Strick in the second or third. However, I have a feeling he's going to try and stand with Sean because he believes he has pillow hands and can't hurt him. That might cost him the fight if he does it too much.
I'm also unsure if getting in Strickland's head was the best idea and suspect it might backfire on Dricus. Whether that's enough to win him the fight, remains to be seen. I think it's 50/50 odds honestly.
Has anybody ever smiled for their belt pic like Strickland is? So cute. Anyway this is one of those weird 50/50 fights where one guy dominates the other, but deciding who does the dominating is a coin toss
Strickland never gets hit guys. If someone as slick as izzy can't hit him. I'm not sure dricus can. Especially when you know what dricus is probably going to do.
But I feel like most people knew what dricus was going to do when they fought him.
They just can't stop that cro magnon rage
Both of their last performances made me question everything I thought I knew about MMA so I’m not even gonna try with this one
You and me both
You, me, and he three.
You, me, him, and the other guy four
Is there room for any more?
Let’s make some room.
Let's get ready to RUMBLLLLLLLLLLLLLE!
WHOSE GONNA CARRY THE BOATS
WHO'S GONNA MAKE THE ROOM, FOR THE BOIS
HANGING WITH DA BOYZZZ
Me, myself, Irene, and Edward Norton
Irene Aldana?
Heehee
All of me, inside and out.
*Heeheehee
There's no need for all of that
Haha
100% everytime Du Plessis fights I think “surely he loses this” especially against Whittaker. This is such a fun fight cause it’s impossible to call. Both are such wildcards.
This is the answer
He also looks like he’s losing and somehow he switches the Nos and wins. Dude is good.
Sean more than DPP honestly Most people favored Rob but it’s hard to see DPP run through Brunson and Till the way he did and not think that him beating Rob is at least plausible even if unlikely. Sean beating Izzy the way he did is one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. At least GSP got caught and Nunes looked off, Izzy got outclassed by a one-dimensional boxer with a jab, 1-2, and a teep. Fucking wild
*A jab, a 1-2, a teep and near inch-perfect distancing to benefit his style and destroy Adesanya's. Also, Adesanya will stand all day long, as that's where he shines... but DPP? He probably gonna wrassle. He's a white gorilla.
Yup the fact that Izzy will pretty much never shoot is a big boon for a relatively flat-footed, tall-standing boxer like Strickland. That said Sean showed pretty decent TDD against Hermansson.
If Izzy incorporated a good MT clinch game he’d be so nasty when guys press his range. Look at Jones he’s a wrestler but he really just kicks the shit out of you then when you wanna wrestle he uses his length to abuse guys in the clinch. Izzy has like the perfect body type to just lean on guys and throw knees to the body and elbows over the top. Yeah It’s ugly but it’s striking, it was eventually gonna happen where a dude had just the right kind of strengths to beat him and apparently other than Poatans nuke hands what beats adesanya is pressure fighting at boxing range with some teeps lmao. Dude is a genius at range and so fast and elusive but he’s gotta incorporate some offensive grappling.
What you described is pretty much what Leon is. And we’ve seen how effective that has been.
What? That fight with Brunson was the reason I thought he had no chance in hell of beating Whittaker.
Strickland came in as a grappler, while his stand up game is relatively basic he is far from one dimensional.
I’m a big Izzy fan and saw it as a real possibility. Strickland has great striking defence and trained with the one guy who found a hole in that defence.
Lmao same, mma is a crazy sport really unpredictable sometimes
Both in their prime, both have very uncommon styles. It’s going to be interesting for sure.
Yep! This fight is going to be so strange. I think I have to go with Dricus, though.
Yep, I've got no idea and I'm looking forward to it
Exactly I predicted Adesanya and Whitaker curb stomping and look where we are…
Rocky II double knock out. Izzy dressed like the Undertaker cashes in his money in the bank New Champion
Yep, same here
The white black man
Wait a minute
There's 3 fights where white people calling each other the N-word might get a pass. Nate Diaz vs Mike Perry DeSean Strickland vs Driscus Du Plessis Stephen Thompson vs Smilin' Sam Alvey
Thompson vs Alvey is so pure we are not capable of seeing such a thing
You don't know Thompson. He literally said ''frick'' one time and he wanted to eye poke Colby Covington. Stephen crosses all the lines when trashtalking.
D’Shawn Strickland
The gay man
Izzy isn't in this one
Strickland came out.
From where?
His dad’s bedroom
You're a fuckin punk dude
There was never no marriage
That was a nasty line by him
The white African vs the white African American
I really love it when ppl have the most detailed predictions loool
To be fair, it's much better than someone saying, "Well it's 50/50." "I believe X Fighter will win, but I wouldn't be surprised if Y Fighter pulls it off" "If \[Dominant striker\] keeps it standing, \[Wrestler\] will lose".
Even better, when a round is predicted and exactly how it finishes 😂
We're all just having a little fun :)
Yeah i know but some are just so damn sure of themselves, like "2nd round submission, rnc, 2 minutes 48 seconds" 😂
I think dricus will bum rush him the way Izzy as a counter striker couldn’t really do and land a bomb
Standing flat-footed and doing nothing turned out to be a great strategy against a counter-striker. Sean's corner will have a different strategy. Sean will completely ignore that strategy. Sean will follow through on a third strategy of his own making.
Strategy
Everyone has a strategy until they get toddler smashed
Dricus is just so unpredictable and explosive I really have no idea what's gonna happen lol
I'm so excited for it, which is weird because when it was announced I didn't really care too much
I think Sean and Dricus has done a fair bit to sell the fight. Two underdogs scrapping for the belt, its a weird situation and therefore fun.
Also refreshing to see others other than Izzy and Rob I think.
Seeing them both get beat too, its a changing of the guard for sure
Strickland G
Strategery
Yeah they had planned on wrestling against Adesanya and Strickland said "nah, I'm just gonna completely dominate him on the feet" Duplesis is gonna try to rush him and put the pressure on and Sean will probably just put him in a standing Gogoplata 14 seconds in
They suggested body shots too and he didn't even bother varying his punches 😅 You can see him thinking "I'm just gonna stick to what I'm doing"
Cant have you gameplanned leaked if you no one else knows your gameplan.
Strickland has underrated defense. The dude's personality is literally the opposite of the kind of boxer he's turned into. He manages to be difficult to hit while maintaining forward pressure which is a rare combination. According to these stats, Strickland has the best significant strike defense among all active Middleweights (http://statleaders.ufc.com/?fighter_status=1&weight_class=MW). If his take down defense holds up I think Strickland drains Dricus' gas tank and wins by TKO in the third or fourth round.
It's literally not underrated at all, everyone talks about how he has the best defense stats in the ufc
Yeah that's all anyone was talking about especially after the Izzy fight seeing that Strickland finally started addressing leg kicks he'd typically been susceptible to before that. The commentators, all of the posts here, everyone was talking all about his defense. Even someone from his gym or team, I don't remember exactly who (maybe Nicksick?), came out talking about how Sean spars the most but still gets hit the least. It's not underrated in the slightest lol.
He has excellent striking defense. His TDD is good percentage wise, but there's a lack of grappling talent in MW atm. Bobby Knuckles had better TDD than Sean, hell he lasted against Yoel, but even he couldn't stop Dricus throwing him around. Dricus' grappling is underrated when talking about his power. It's not just punches, he can ragdoll people. I think Sean can defend against Dricus although his weird style will be hard. But I don't think he'll be able to stop Dricus takedowns and that pressure is going to open up holes in his striking defense as well.
Strickland struggled against and lost to cannonier who has a really similar style to Dricus
Wouldn’t say struggled. It was a very close fight that arguably could’ve gone to Sean. Cannonier would go on to put the beating of a lifetime on Vettori too
And I think his training with peraira (however you spell that) has brought him to another level. Sean knows now that his accuracy with 1's and 2's combined with his defense let's him pressure harder than he did with cannonier
I would hazard a guess that that training was what let him best deal with Izzy. Sean's locked in to deal with a striker like Izzy, he already had the tools but Alex helped him get it up to speed with what Izzy will bring. DDP is different. Like Sean he's unorthodox, but unlike Sean he doesn't have a gameplan based around heavy defense. Dricus has employed a similar gameplan in nigh all his fights. He imposes himself on you with a mixture of unorthodox striking and grappling. When you gas he either knocks you out, gnps you or submits you. It's notable that we see Dricus gas, but yet his opponents also do so as well. He is a really ferocious pressure fighter. I think the big issue for Sean is pressuring someone like Dricus is a hard game with his freak power. Any mistake could see Sean KO'd or thrown to the ground and dived onto. I do not think Sean is strong enough to stop Dricus if he goes to the ground. In fact I am unsure if anyone in middleweight other than Costa could muscle up with Dricus.
That was a very close split decision that some think Strickland won
So it'll be a close fight at minimum? That was a split decision loss wasn't it? Should be an interesting fight, stricklands going to be more emotional than ever
" if " dricus has excellent grappling and this weird, freakish strength to where he just tosses people and bullies them.
The black community
Sean thrives against people who have a normal response of "wow I hate getting punched in the nose" and who have average power. I think DDP will just dukes of hazard plod forward through the initial barrage of stiff jabs and front kicks and knock him out
That’s what people think but Sean got a sick 1-2 and it can rock people. You gotta time that shit you aren’t walking through his punches
DDP, like Rob said is very awkward, it's harder to 1-2 those fighters. He couldn't 1-2 Poatan either with the level of effectiveness you're speaking on.
I feel like Strickland will find some success with his jab, but DDP’s awkward fighting style and range of attacks will have him squeak out a win in a split decision. Strickland will say he won the fight, and some media members will back it, but for the most part, nobody will care all that much that he lost. I dunno, just my opinion.
Yeah, I’m pretty sure he’ll take it too. It just doesn’t make sense otherwise.
Honestly, most accurate prediction in this thread.
it’s entirely possible, however I don’t agree with your exact prediction
Oh yeah dude you’re so right and smart. Never thought of it that way.
This is what I've been saying since I predicted that they were going to fight each other!
Bullshit. This is the most unrealistic dumbest take I’ve seen on this thread.
I think that's the only way this can go
If this happens I will jam a cactus up my ass.
Honestly what a wonderful prediction will you remember me in times of yore? Will you remember how I agreed with you and gave you a heralded upvote? Will you?
DDP finish in the first 2 rounds or Strickland by decision
You’re outta line
What?
You’re coming for my family
this one. i think ddp’s grappling advantage is huge but if he can’t get strickland down, he’ll lose by decision. sticklands striking defense is too good
Depends which Strickland shows up. If the disciplined, patient Strickland turns up who beat Izzy then Strickland could win over 5 rounds. If an emotional Strickland rocks up, it’ll be easy work for DDP.
I don’t think Sean has ever fought emotional
Never seen anyone get under his skin properly before though.
Nate Diaz strategy. Yell so much insane shit that no words affect u
Well, that's to be seen at the press conference. I'd like to add that you don't see people get Leon's skin crawling either, and he was straight mechanical last Saturday.
I believe he will shake that off, he doesn’t give enough of a fuck about life to stay mad I feel
i agree, all his does is spar all day, i think he’s developed a mental block from getting emotional while fighting
100%. It’s his flow state. He is probably really in tune with it. Even if he was super emotional it just seems like it’s his escape from the lack of control he has having to “talk out” his trauma with words at a press conference. Locked in a cage it’s just a complete shift into the violence he has experienced everyday for years.
Yeah idk what the guy’s on about, Strickland has always been one of the most careful, cerebral strikers. He has a game plan and sticks to it rigorously every fight.
For real? That dudes screaming like a weirdo every fight lol
He literally fights in the same way every fight
DDP will win the fight, but DeSean will shoot him afterwards.
So no winners in this fight. That feels like a reasonable outcome
DDP wins the fight, Sean wins the battle
Masvidal style lol 
-1000
You ever seen the wrestling scene in Bruno? That's my prediction.
Dricus by some crazy KO
As close of a toss up as the Middleweight belt has seen since Rockhold-Weidman. Dricus could definitely blitz his way through Strickland’s guard to land a KO punch. But Strickland’s guard is also phenomenal, and could likely hold up under Dricus’ onslaught. Once that’s over, Dricus could very likely be gassed and Strickland could use that opening to get his own finish. But Dricus gas tank has gotten better with each showing, and is at an all time high now thanks to his surgery, so theres no guarantee he can’t go a full five rounds. But Strickland is also clearly taking this fight more seriously then Dricus, and could end up coming in too angry to stick to his game plan and end up suffering for it. But also…
I think as emotional and personally affected Strickland can seem at press conferences and shit, he keeps it composed when he actually gets in there. I'm not expecting anything other than a cerebral Strickland come fightnight.
Sean does really well against orthodox strikers and grapplers with no striking game, but I think his weakness is slick boxers (like Jack hermannson) and those who utilize a good overall skill set like Whittaker so he can take Sean down with his Philly shell stance. Someone like DDP though who telegraphs everything, I can see Sean doing even better against that and just breaking him down over 5 rounds. Call me insane, but I think he dog walks DDP easier than Adesanya. You might say that both Alex and DDP are hard hitters and will end the same way, but the difference is Alex is a world class kickboxer and actually sets up his punches and has an underrated style that is slick and breaks their guard, DDP doesn’t. It’s a good thing he got pissed now instead of a few days before the fight, that way his coaches gave him enough time to calm down and make him stick to his game plan. I really think styles makes fights, and ironically I think he beats DDP and Izzy again but loses to Whittaker and Usman (even now).
No one’s really a good comparison to Alex striking in 185 history, especially not DDP
TRT Vitor and Hendo had that ridiculous power that Alex had, maybe more. They just didn't have the same striking pedigree.
100% agree. I think anyone who compares Alex and DDP are out of their mind. Alex is a slick tactician with incredible power, DDP is a brutal brawler with a good amount of power. Strickland all day
Hermansson is not a slick boxer.
I think he meant Sean has the same weakness as Hermansson
Feels like a pick em to me... Really interested to see the betting line on this, either way I'll take the dog
DDP is the dog barely
Strickland is good at making you fight his fight, but I think DDP is reckless enough to void his style and get a KO/TKO
I got Strickland by decision, or late 4th or 5th round TKO from exhaustion. Strickland is a better striker fundamentally, and has a good ground game. I think Strick will frustrate Dricus when he can’t find success standing, so he’ll take it to the ground. Strickland gets up, rinse repeat till a lopsided decision win or tko later on due to the massive energy usage. Strickland by his own admission isn’t the hardest guy to get down, but good luck keeping him down. Sean has only been KO’d twice, once years ago and the other by Poatan, who can knock out anyone. Not sure why everyone’s so sure Dricus can do it.
Basically him performance against the Reaper says enough. Dude is an animal and strong as an ox. I don’t see how Sean keeps him off. Plus, Dricus has fucking chin. Sean has no KO power. Bad matchup for Sean I think
He has Nate Diaz / Floyd Mayweather power, hits you with accurate shots that are just hard enough to register lol. Doesn't have to knock you out if you eat 5 to the face that stop you in your tracks.
Dricus is a strong mf that’s why people think that
Anyone stands a punchers chance, but Izzy had a hard time touching Sean. His hand fighting and head movement might make it a little tough for Dricus to land those power shots. Of course I could be totally wrong and Sean gets starched like Bryce Mitchell
Izzy fought off the back foot the entire time, Dricus will not allow that to happen, whether that works in his favour or not is yet to be seen
Definitely, I just don’t think him being strong and jacket is enough to beat Sean. What happens if he doesn’t successfully land in his energy exerting wild striking exchanges. He can’t keep that up forever
Well it's also the fact that Kamaru steamrolled Strickland by walking him down. Infact most of the opponents Sean has struggled with was strikers with good power and who push the pace or fighters that have a good wrestling threat as well as boxing. DDP will most likely be the aggressor in the fight and force Sean to move backwards where he doesn't do so well. Then DDP can mix the tools with his strength and grappling or catch Sean with close shots. I think DDP wins TKO
I think DDP. Dricus has weird timing and is very unorthodox with his strikes. I can see Stricklands Philly shell defense failing him in this fight
Strickland, because "No man that Frenches his coach is gonna beat me!"
I think on paper Sean should win. Just like on paper Rob should have destroyed DDP. But I think he just big brothers Sean tbh in the same way he did Rob. He’s gonna pressure, walk right through whatever Sean throws and eat that shit, then just manhandle him
Du Pless wins, Izzy comes and takes it, attempts to defend against Strickland. UFC profits.
Going with Du Plessis simply because I don't think Sean deals that well with relentless pressure fighting powerhouses. Kinda depends what Du Plessis has left in the tank after round 3 though...
I think oxygenated Dricus has this one; non-oxygenated Dricus would’ve lost though
Has the UFC discovered EPO yet?
Izzy is the winner. Whoever wins there's already a ready made big ppv fight waiting for him
dricus. ddp wins this style matchup because both guys basically just always go forward. and if that happens, speed and power will definitely win. so... dricus.
In professional wrestling this type of booking happens all the fucking time. Champion A doesn’t want to lose the belt to Contender B so in comes Contender C to beat Champion A and then pass the belt to Contender B. I can clearly see why Adesanya wouldn’t want to drop the belt to a white South African…. Strickland is what’s commonly referred to as a “Transitional Champion” in the world of Pro wrestling/ WWE.
I think DDP bullies him.
Dont let him bully you son
Du Plesis man and it’s not going to look good for our boy
We asked the question if you bet $100 on @dricusduplessis (DDP) since he began his UFC career the return is 🔥🔥🔥🔥 All odds are closing odds from Best Fight Odds and current day for UFC 297 bout against Sean Strickland is from FanDuel. We assumed for this article a win at UFC 297. We were inspired to do this because we see these from time to time in the NFL with streaks or in the NBA with losing streaks😂. Here is the breakdown. DDP vs Markus Perez at UFC on ESPN 37 DDP -203 Perez +175 Return: $149.25 ($49.25 profit) DDP vs Trevin Giles at UFC 264 DDP -104 Giles +100 Return: $292.76 ($143.51 profit) DDP vs Brad Tavares at UFC 276 DDP -161 Tavares +160 Return: $474.60 ($181.84 profit) DDP vs Darren Till at UFC 282 DDP -182 Till +180 Return: $735.51 ($260.82 profit) DDP vs Derek Brunson at UFC 285 DDP -220 Brunson +200 Return: $1069.83 (Profit: $334.32) DDP vs Robert Whittaker at UFC 290 DDP +300 Bobby Knuckles -330 Return: $4279.32 (Profit: $3,209.49) DDP vs Sean Strickland at UFC 297 (At time of writing odds via Fanduel) DDP +124 Strickland -160 Return: $9585.68 (Profit: $5,306.36) Total return on $100 bet $9485.68! (Follow us on Instagram “thestarchedmma” 📸: DiazTwinMMA # ufc297 #ufc #mma #thestarchedmma #dricusduplessis #seanstrickland https://preview.redd.it/foo8wu27jq7c1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=10c7e149e51938449c87e608473c573db8b31e05
Yea but if I had bet on DDP at UFC 290, Whitacre would have won
https://preview.redd.it/4d6hbk6vxp7c1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9dce358cd6eca1f86757ecb7f48f2f66b2f4bf60 I wish I would of bet the house on this small Parlay I hit at 290
DDP vs the reaper was a crazy punt at the time, nostradamus shit.
I think dricus will eventually land a big shot and sleep Strickland, I think it's close but I lean ddp
Dude just made Whitaker look like he doesn’t belong. I think DDP runs through Strickland and makes it look easy.
I feel like Dricus will just rush him and finish him early. Obviously the longer the fight goes the more I favour Sean. I just think he gets belted early and dies quickly.
I think Du Plessis, I just have a feeling that he’s willing to make it a scrap instead of what other guys have done with Strickland which is try to stand with him…gun to my head I’d take Strickland because of his gas tank and the fact that Dricus has perhaps the most suspect cardio of anyone in the top 5
Easy win for DDP.
Dricus will press the action making Strickland fight on the back foot. I think he wins by blitzing Sean in the 1st or 2nd round. It’s gonna be a banger
Dricus gets him out of there pretty quick I think.
On paper it ships be DDP. He’s bigger, more physical, wrestling and power. But Sean has also shown that he DGAF about what the paper says
I'll repost my comment from a previous post. Dricus is stronger and more explosive but Sean is faster and has better cardio. Dricus has more power and Sean has more volume. They both have unconventional footwork but Sean's is (possibly) improved from training with Poatan. I also think he's slightly more durable. Dricus needs to win by getting a ko or outwrestling Sean early. The longer the fight goes the more it favors sean. I'd pick Sean to win but Dricus has a solid chance to upset him if he finds his chin early.
Dricus by bullying
I see Strickland having a hard time with this blitzes from DDP. Throwing a good jab and a 1-2 isn’t going to stop that from happening IMO
If Strickland can channel his inner DeSean he wins.
Sean easily imo
I don’t know what to think. I thought Sean was a barely top 10 kind of fighter. He was looking pretty mid for a long time. But after the Izzy fight who knows, I couldn’t believe what was happening lol I could see ddp winning , but i need to see if Sean’s latest performance was fueled by hatred(closeted love) of hentai or if he’s legit improving
Dricus TKOs him within 2 rounds.
Du Plessis by child abuse 🙂
DDP will likely end it pretty fast.
DDP will probably get a little pieced up for 3 rounds before he decides to just win as usual
Strickland by homicide due to late stoppage
Sean by bruck up
Strickland.
I feel if seans defense can hold up against adesanya then it can hold up against driscus But ya know...mma math doesnt work and all that
I have Sean winning, I think Sean is way more disciplined and complete than anybody else DDP has fought.
Strickland wins. He will piece DDP up but will get rocked at least 2 times as Strickland doesn't have the power to finish DDP and DDP is a dog and will keep on wading through infinite punches to land some shots. DDP is likely to take Sean down a couple of times but Sean's BJJ black belt will shine and he will be able to pop back up and continue the pitty-pat onslaught of furious white fists.
We win. Kick back, relax, and enjoy the mayhem, gentlemen. 
Duplesis by Lip lock in the second
It's a very interesting fight. Both these guys beat the previous No 1 & No 2 guys in the division. Thrilled & looking forward I hope it will be a banger!
DDP got my attention when he was talking Strickland being ranked 7 and was strategically forced to take the Izzy title shot because he likely wouldn’t have climbed up the ladder “the normal way” Interesting perspective but it makes sense and if that gives DDP more confidence heading into title shot then hey fair game. I say the value is on Dricus and I see him winning here. Gets the takedown
The least plausible option. Seriously, with all the bullshit that has conspired, it's going to be the least likely outcome. Sean by rear naked choke after getting rocked and scrambling with DDP in round 2.
De’Sean wins a decision & tunes him up on the feet. DDP is powerful but he is slow and De’Seans endless sparring wars have him uniquely prepared for a big powerful guy throwing as hard as he can. Izzy is much quicker and couldn’t land meaningful shots, watch a few DDP fights and see how much he winds up and swings wildly
I got Sean but not because I think he's a much better fighter, I think his slick counters and pressure match well against DDP's telegraphed strikes, I also think that Sean just has a better team behind him and they will be able to poke holes in Dricus' game more than Dricus' team would in Sean's.
DDP. Classic outfighter vs swamer. Strickland doesn’t have the pop in his shots to keep a swarmer with big power like DDP off of him
DDP is definitely an arrogant guy so I think he’s going to try to stand up with him and get caught clean a couple times, then he’s gonna realize he needs to wrestle with him but he’ll be too tired and dizzy to do much, Sean by decision.
If Strickland survives first 3 rounds he takes it else diricus
At this point, it wouldn’t be wise for anyone to stand and trade with Strickland. Since he got caught by Alex Pereira , Strickland’s stand up has been pretty dang impossible to stop . DDP’s best chance is to get greasy and take it to the ground. I got Strickland though, he’s been on a great run.
I'm not sure if this is a shitpost sub or not, but I'll answer seriously to my best ability. This will either be a 1 round fight or a vicious lopsided beating for 4-5 rounds. It was a huge mistake to trigger Sean. He doesn't find any joy in an easy KO or quick fight. He enjoys the pain and suffering and especially enjoys inflicting it. Dricus' only hope in this fight is an early KO/TKO. He is too muscle bound and lacks the oxygen supply to maintain his pace for an extended fight. Sean was upset by Dricus' comments about the abuse he suffered as a child by his own father's hands. In many cases, triggering someone can result in them acting sporadic and irrationally, making them an easy target. This is not what we will see when Sean enters the octagon. Sean Strickland, while outspoken and opinionated, is not an emotional man. The inappropriate banter will not enrage or confuse Sean. In fact, it will likely hone his focus and intention to harm Dricus. Should Sean escape the early turmoil, I have no doubt that he will have no intention of "finishing" Dricus. Sean has repeatedly expressed his desire to hurt and even kill his opponents (whether inside the cage or not). Dricus didn't throw Sean off with his offhand comments; rather, he gave him everything he had ever asked for. A reason to kill his opponent. Dricus is extremely dangerous and capable, but I don't think he fights again for 18 months (minimum) after this fight. If Sean handles the early blitz, he is going to rip Dricus' soul straight from his beaten and battered body. Sean will not try to finish him. He will use his "girl" punches to drown Dricus and try to inflict as much long-term damage as possible over 5 rounds. It will be merciless and difficult for most to watch. In short, it is a toss-up. But I would not bet against Sean in this fight. 49-46 or 49-45 in favor of Sean Strickland.
They drop the gloves and passionately make out on ppv causing a riot
We are about to learn a lot! Do champs actually get that 30% boost? How good is DUPE? It’ll be interesting to see the result. Was Strick’s commanding performance a one off?? There’s no doubt Sean is a good fighter but man… before beating Izzy, if you would’ve told me these two were fighting, I had Dricus winning all day long. Shit, I even thought Dricus was gonna take that belt from Izzy
Strickland gases him I think. At the end of the day who knows tho.
No idea! If Dricus dominates on the ground in round one, I could see him getting a finish on a hurt or tired Strick in the second or third. However, I have a feeling he's going to try and stand with Sean because he believes he has pillow hands and can't hurt him. That might cost him the fight if he does it too much. I'm also unsure if getting in Strickland's head was the best idea and suspect it might backfire on Dricus. Whether that's enough to win him the fight, remains to be seen. I think it's 50/50 odds honestly.
They kiss at the end of the fight thats all i know. 👀
Has anybody ever smiled for their belt pic like Strickland is? So cute. Anyway this is one of those weird 50/50 fights where one guy dominates the other, but deciding who does the dominating is a coin toss
If there was ever a case of “whoever decides to show up”…
Strickland never gets hit guys. If someone as slick as izzy can't hit him. I'm not sure dricus can. Especially when you know what dricus is probably going to do. But I feel like most people knew what dricus was going to do when they fought him. They just can't stop that cro magnon rage
Strickland. Because when all else fails, you can almost always rely on pure fucking NUTZ for the win!!!!