BREAKING: Dana White confirms that Sean
Strickland will fight the winner of Du Plessis vs. Adesanya
fight(Via @jimrome)
pic.twitter.com/htxyio6dL2— Cageside Access (@CagesideAccess)
August 13, 2024
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Dana White has provided some clarity to the
Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight title picture — at
least for now.
Dricus Du
Plessis will put his middleweight strap on the line against
former champ Israel
Adesanya in the main event at UFC 305
in Perth, Australia, on Saturday. A few candidates appear to have a
legitimate claim to the next title shot once that fight has
concluded.
One potential contender would be the winner of a bout between
Robert
Whittaker and Khamzat
Chimaev scheduled for UFC 308
in October. However, No.1 ranked contender Sean
Strickland remains adamant on fighting for the title next, even
turning down a potential matchup against Whittaker if “Bobby
Knuckles” defeats Chimaev. During an appearance on “The Jim Rome
Show,” White indicated that Strickland would be next in line to
fight for the 185-pound belt.
“Listen, Sean
Strickland is right now the No. 1 ranked middleweight in the
world,” White said. “And the answer is yes, is yes.”
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While Adesanya and Du Plessis were originally expected to meet at
UFC 293 in September 2023, “Stillknocks” was sidelined with a foot
injury, opening the door for Strickland to receive a title shot.
The
Xtreme Couture representative went on to put on a masterclass
in defensive striking to earn a unanimous decision win over
Adesanya in one of the greatest upsets in the history of UFC title
fights. Strickland then lost his strap to Du Plessis via split
decision at UFC 297 this past — a ruling which he contests to this
day.
During the post-fight press conference for Dana White’s Contender
Series on Tuesday night, the UFC CEO reiterated his stance.
“He’s ranked No. 1 in the world. He deserves the fight… Strickland
deserves it,” White said.