Dricus Du Plessis (right)(image via UFC/YouTube)

By Kelsey Mowatt

The betting lines have Sean Strickland as the favorite to beat Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297 on Saturday. But, former UFC champ-champ, Henry Cejudo, believes Du Plessis will be taking the middleweight title back to South Africa.

Strickland will be looking to defend the middleweight crown for the first time on Saturday, after he shocked the MMA world in September, by defeating Israel Adesanya.

As UFC 297 approaches, the consensus prediction seems to be that Strickland will retain the middleweight belt. But, while talking on his YouTube channel recently, Cejudo outlined why he believes Du Plessis will be victorious (quotes via MMA Junkie.com).

“I love the fight, but if I had to pick somebody to be able to win, I want to go with the American, I really do,” Cejudo said. “I really do, but if this guy (Du Plessis) has trouble taking down Sean Strickland, and Sean Strickland has gone five rounds. It’s hard. I remember I doubted this dude against Robert Whittaker, but if I literally had to pick somebody, I got to go with (Strickland).

“I’m at the halfway point where I think I want go for this dude (Du Plessis) because of the emotions going on with Sean Strickland. I take that back. I’m going to have to go with the king of Africa. I just have to. It seems like his head is in the right place. He has good top control, good ground-and-pound. As much as I want to go for Sean Strickland. I cannot doubt the dude that beat Robert Whittaker.”

Du Plessis (20-2) secured a title shot last summer, by stopping the aforementioned Whittaker in round two. The 30-year-old has gone 6-0 in the UFC to date.

Strickland (28-5), meanwhile, is riding a three-fight winning streak. Before recording a decision win over Adesanya, the 32-year-old finished Abusupiyan Magomedov in July 2023.

UFC 297 is taking place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.