Dricus du Plessis, two-time Sean Strickland conquerer, reclaims Middleweight crown via awful MMA math – ‘I guess I’m champion again’

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 14: Dricus Du Plessis of South Africa poses on stage during the UFC 319 press conference at Radius Chicago on August 14, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC)

Suga?

Foul-mouthed Sean Strickland reclaimed the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight title this past weekend (Sat., May 9, 2026), defeating Khamzat Chimaev via razor-close split decision in UFC 328’s main event inside Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey (official scorecards here).

One man paying very close attention cageside was former champion Dricus du Plessis — the only fighter to defeat Strickland twice.

And after watching Strickland reclaim the belt, “DDP” used some classic MMA math to crown himself champion again.

“Yeah, so the fight went exactly the way I thought it would,” du Plessis said backstage. “Great, great fight by Strickland. As I said, it is so hard to keep that man on the ground. He is incredibly tough to hold down. And he even made Khamzat tired — and that’s exactly what happened.”

“I knew that in the stand-up, Khamzat would not be able to hang with him,” du Plessis continued. “So, congratulations. I guess that makes me world champion again.”