When does Dricus Du Plessis get his title shot

CEO of the UFC Dana White recently announced that middleweight champion Sean Strickland would defend his title for the first time against Dricus Du Plessis in January.

Du Plessis earned a shot at the middleweight title in a UFC championship eliminator against Robert Whittaker earlier this year.

Strickland (28-5) will be attempting to defend the championship for the first time after defeating Israel Adesanya in September in a sensational upset. 

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DRICUS DU PLESSIS WILL GET HIS TITLE SHOT IN TORONTO

The middleweight championship match between Du Plessis and champion Strickland will be the the main event of UFC 297 in Toronto on 20 January.

Adesanya (24-3) and Strickland would have faced off right away in a rematch, but Adesanya has chosen to take an indefinite hiatus from professional fighting. Earlier this year, South Africa’s Du Plessis was supposed to play Adesanya before Strickland, but an injury forced him to miss time.

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DDP TO HAVE A NEW FAVOURITE FIGHT

If Du Plessis can triumph this fight might take over as his new favourite.

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The fighter told the Mail & Guardian that his battle with Brad Tavares has ranked as his personal favourite.

“Brad Tavares was one of the toughest people I fought. In terms of being tired and in terms of taking damage, I wouldn’t call it my toughest fight,” he said. 

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“I hit that guy and the next day, my hands were swollen. I normally hit guys with 16 ounce gloves with half the power that I hit that guy with and they go down, but he just wouldn’t go down. It was an incredible experience.

“It was definitely one of those fights where I had to go and work for it. I would die in there, but I wouldn’t lose that fight.”

Du Plessis admitted that he was frustrated by the process and talk after injury forced him to reject the Sydney shot at Adesanya.

“It was the first time in the UFC’s history where a guy not only wins but destroys the number one contender [Whittaker] who’s been undoubtedly the number one contender for over a decade. But then you don’t get a title shot,“ he said.