If Dricus Du Plessis had gotten his way, he would have been defending his middleweight crown against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 312.
Over the weekend, it was announced that Du Plessis would face Sean Strickland in a championship rematch on Feb. 8 in Sydney, Australia. Du Plessis claimed the 185-pound belt with a split-decision triumph over Strickland at UFC 297 this past January.
“Just for clarification I preferred the Khamzat fight but the rematch is a fight most wanted before Khamzat vs Whittaker,” Du Plessis wrote on social media. “I’m not unhappy with the UFC’s decision.