Dricus du Plessis retains UFC middleweight crown after win over rival Sean Strickland

[p]Du Plessis won 50-45, 50-45, 49-46 to boost his win-loss record to 23-2 and cement his status as mixed martial arts' top 185-pound fighter.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/du-plessis-dricus/vkkJANr5/"]Du Plessis[/a] first claimed the belt when he beat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/strickland-sean/fNnAY4qK/"]Strickland[/a] via a close split decision in Toronto in January last year, a bout the polarising American repeatedly insisted he won.[/p][p]The South African launched a successful defence against Nigeria-born [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/adesanya-israel/rcvXFy8D/"]Israel Adesanya[/a] in August, while Strickland rebounded with a tepid defeat of Brazil's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/costa-paulo-henrique/GC7fGD0c/"]Paulo Costa[/a] to set up the re-match.[/p][p][b]"To come in here and try to knock this man out it is next to impossible,"[/b] said Du Plessis, the first South African to win a UFC championship. [b]"I'd love another round, but that's not the game.[/b][/p][p][b]"I wanted a submission, a knockout or an absolute domination of a five rounder," he added. "That's what I gave. I gave it my all."[/b][/p][embed guid="21d90712-ad8e-4fde-9c05-309277dc66b5" url="https://x.com/ufc/status/1888471709495267371" social-type="twitter" /][p]The Toronto clash was decided by the smallest of margins, but this time it was all Du Plessis'.[/p][p]In a measured start he utilised his favoured head kicks, landing four in round one as Strickland responded with tentative jabs.[/p][p]The volume of strikes increased in round two with Du Plessis delivering combinations to the face that drew blood as he picked up the pace.[/p][p]Strickland lacked urgency and Du Plessis rammed home the advantage in a dominant round four.[/p][p][b]A huge right hook saw blood come pouring from the American's nose, and another rocked him onto the cage.[/b][/p][p]Strickland's nose was clearly bothering him as Du Plessis went in for the kill in the fifth and last round, targeting it whenever possible without being able to deliver a decisive knockout blow.[/p][p]In a profanity-laden courtside interview afterwards, the American said his nose was broken.[/p][p][b]"I popped it back in place and kept fighting for you,"[/b] he said. [b]"He kicked my ass fair and square, props to him."[/b][/p][embed guid="74968c8d-e318-4cca-8bf1-a0714eefb64a" url="https://x.com/ufc/status/1888475843761942689" social-type="twitter" /][p]Also on the maincard, Chinese strawweight queen [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zhang-weili/8dLKzTjp/"]Zhang Weili[/a] successfully defended her title for a third straight time, dominating previously unbeaten American challenger [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/suarez-tatiana/INh1VoUa/"]Tatiana Suarez[/a].[/p][p]The ferocious Zhang, seen as the best pound-for-pound women's fighter in the sport, scored a unanimous win in the five-round fight that left Suarez with some nasty cuts.[/p][p]"I was well prepared for this fight. Tatiana is very strong, but I just focused on myself," said Zhang, who stretched her record to 26-3.[/p][p]In the heavyweight non-title bout, Brazil's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/teixeira-tallison/Qe1O5W2b/"]Tallison Teixeira[/a] scored a knockout win over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tafa-justin/8CFDEp8G/"]Justin Tafa[/a] after just 35 seconds, with a huge elbow to the nose sending the Australian down.[/p][p]It stretched Teixeira's record to 8-0.[/p]