The South African defending champions says he will have to ‘do everything better’ if he’s to get the better of Sean Strickland again.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis knows he has to be better as he prepares for his second title defence in Sydney this weekend.
The South African will take on American Sean Strickland — the man he took the title from just over a year ago — early on Sunday morning (SA time) at UFC312.
Looking back on that split decision win, DDP says he does not necessarily have to change anything to have his arm raised again, he just needs to be better.
‘Fights like a white man dances’
“I did the right thing to win that fight (at UFC297 in Toronto) and he is going to make adjustments to be better, and that is exactly what I have to do,” Du Plessis said during a press conference on Wednesday.
“It is not that I have to do anything different, I just have to do everything better. I have had a year now to be fitter, stronger, being more patient and picking my shots better.”
Du Plessis — who now has a professional fight record of 22 wins and only two losses — has had a lot said about his fighting style, with UFC president Dana White being quoted as saying “he fights like a white man dances”, but such comments do not bug the South African.
“It’s effective, that’s what I think,” a chuckling Du Plessis said when asked about the way he fights.
Now while Du Plessis is expecting the best version of his opponent, Strickland was usual brash self in the pre-fight presser on Wednesday, using the same excuse he has been running with since he lost to DDP a year ago.
‘Dirty Dutchman’
“That (the loss) only happened because the dirty Dutchman hit me with a headbutt. It would have been an easy fight if it wasn’t for that.”
“I am going to put him back on the short bus and send him to preschool,” an emotional Strickland said.
The last time Du Plessis fought in Australia, he was booed by most of the crowd and although he is hopeful that more fans will be in his corner this time around, an electrifying atmosphere is all he cares about.
“The last time I was here, the Springboks gave the Wallabies such a hiding, I guess that is why they were booing me so much,” Du Plessis joked.
“Maybe there will be more, maybe more boos, but at the end of the day there will be more noise and that’s what I love.”
