Formally reserving his title battle return in February, former champion, Sean Strickland shall be able to return in opposition to former-foe and present champion, Dricus du Plessis as slated at UFC 312 — and even the unbeaten, Khamzat Chimaev if he serves as an official backup fighter.
Strickland, who retains the primary rank on the middleweight restrict, has been sidelined since he co-headlined UFC 302 at the start of June, returning to the winner’s enclosure in a break up choice win over former title chaser, Paulo Costa.
And over the course of the weekend, outspoken fan-favorite, Sean Strickland was formally confirmed because the headliner of UFC 312 in his return to Australia — taking over Pretoria native, du Plessis in a title rematch, having beforehand matched up earlier this annum.
Sean Strickland getting ready for Dricus du Plessis, Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 312
Beating out the undefeated, Chimaev to a title battle with du Plessis, in keeping with Sean Strickland’s head coach, Eric Nicksick, the Xtreme Couture tactician confirmed his scholar is greater than able to tackle both at UFC 312 in two months time.
They [the UFC] often tell us, you realize, a month or two forward of time, only for that very same motive,” Eric Nicksick informed Submission Radio throughout a current interview. You already know, we knew Jared Cannonier was the backup for our battle with Izzy (Israel Adesanya), so in our heads, we had already fought Jared, so we had an concept of what we would have liked to do if that have been to be the case.
So, yeah, I feel undoubtedly, in the event that they announce that Khamzat (Chimaev) is the backup, you actually ought to have like two play calls within the huddle, you realize, like if one thing modifications, we must be ready for it,” Nicksick defined.
Taking over du Plessis at UFC 297 at the start of the 12 months in a visit to Canada, Strickland suffered a controversial break up choice loss to the South African in his first tried protection of the middleweight crown having beforehand crushed common-foe, Adesanya in a significant upset victory in September of final 12 months.
